First Crop Sire OLE KIRK Off to Flying Start in Randwick Gr3 Juvenile Races

07 Oct 24

What an amazing start to the stud career for “new boy” OLE KIRK as Vinery Stud’s Champion 3yo son by Written Tycoon sired both KING KIRK to win the Gr3 Breeders Plate and then his daughter O’ OLE finished runner-up in the Gr3 Gimcrack to kick off the new season 2yo races.

OLE KIRK - Sire

Ole Kirk, the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas and Gr1 Golden Rose winner by Written Tycoon stands at Vinery Stud for a service fee of $55,000.

The whispers had been growing into a roar for the past few weeks that our industry may have unearthed an exciting new sire prospect by the way the first crop 2yo’s by the Australian Champion 3yo OLE KIRK were performing in trackwork and at the early trials.

At the yearling sales they were in hot demand, yet even the hard heads of our industry believed they were built in the mould to be later 2yo’s and early 3yo types. So, the industry is in a flutter as to the precociousness being displayed by his progeny.

However, there is nowhere to hide on the racetrack. That hype is either realised delivering immense commercial advantages or bubbles burst becoming yesterday’s fish and chips wrapping.

So, it was no surprise when Vinery Stud's Ole Kirk made a magnificent start as his son King Kirk came with a barnstorming finish down the middle of the track from the tail of the field to claim a winning debut in the Gr3 Arrowfield Breeders' Plate (1000m) at Randwick.

King Kirk, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained colt was ridden by Rachel King. It had been an alarming drifter in betting after an awkward barrier draw would force the colt to get back in the ruck.

As the gates crashed back, King Kirk was given time to find his feet, drifting back to seventh of the eight runners trying to find cover.

Travelling evenly behind the pace set by his stablemate North England (Farnan), King Kirk then came home with a strong sustained, well-educated run, reeling-in all those in front of him down the straight. As the camera flashed, King Kirk defeated Tempestuous (Extreme Choice) by a half-neck with a head back to the Farnan colt North England. This completed a Tulloch Lodge trifecta for the second consecutive year.

Co-Trainer Adrian Bott said, "He's a lovely horse. Everything he's done to date has just been very professional.

"He got a bit further back than expected today in the run, and it was a great effort to pick them up there in the final strides.
“An exciting horse going forward and rightly so, they (owners) should all be excited."

"I think he's a Magic Millions horse, so I'd say that's, first and foremost, the main target for him.

“We'll look to give him a spell now and work back from there. And obviously, big picture you're always looking for the Golden Slipper.

"It's a bit of a relief there, when you have a representation that they perform well, which they all did. Very proud of them all. I'll have to go back and watch that again and individualise the runs there, but I thought all of them put in a great effort."

A $200,000 pinhook for Redwall Bloodstock from the Rosari Farm draft at the 2003 National Weanling Sale. Widden Stud then consigned the chestnut to the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott went to $300,000.

King Kirk is the third foal of the mare Oxford Angel (Nicconi), a provincial winning half-sister to Listed ATC Winter Stakes winner Oxford Poet (8 wins) and $730,000.

Grand-dam Oxford Princess (Magic Ring) is a three-quarter sister to Quack, the dam of the dual Listed stakes-winner Antina (Fastnet Rock) and Listed winner Pricked (Thorn Park), and a half-sister to the dam of ATC Hall Mark Stakes winner Lady’s Angel (Arena). Oxford Angel re-visited Ole Kirk last spring.

Next-up just 40 minutes later, it was the turn of the girls to make their debuts and the Gimcrack Stakes Gr3 was taken out by BEL MERCI a daughter of leading sire Extreme Choice over O’ OLE a daughter of Ole Kirk ex Vellor (by Sepoy).

This was a reversal of the way the Breeders Plate had finished when the son of Ole Kirk had defeated the son of Extreme Choice.

A homebred for Bell River Thoroughbreds, Bel Merci did a nice job when second at the official Sydney trials last month and took good benefit from that outing.

Aided by a charmed run when allowed an uninterrupted passage along the rail, a major advantage for debutants having the paint to follow, the John Thompson trained filly was given a faultless steer by Chad Schofield and she went on to win by a length and a half over O ‘Ole ridden by Rachel King.

O’ OLE showed tremendous gate speed and was a clear leader after settling but inexplicably, when she could have easily crossed to the fence and controlled the race, the rider elected to stay out wide allowing Bel Merci to push up underneath and take control. Should O’ OLE have crossed to the lead on the fence after the first furlong, the result could well have been different story and OLE KIRK may have sired the winners of both juvenile races.

As it is, to Win the Breeders Plate and have the Runner-up in the Gimcrack is an amazing start to a stud career full of promise for OLE KIRK.

The guesswork is taken away now as the sire has proven he can get precocious youngsters.