Stallions

A Vintedge day for Flying Spur

Flying Spur ‘s admirable and versatile daughter Vintedge today put up her best-ever performance to win the $300,000 VRC Matriarch S. 2000m G2 at Flemington.

Pictured: Vintedge powers home to victory on the final day of the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival. (PHOTO: Martin King, Sportpix)

Trained by Chris Waller for a group of owners headed by Vintedge’s breeder Robert Heyblok, the 6YO mare backed up after her second placing over 1700 metres on Melbourne Cup day. She settled at the rear of the field until jockey Nash Rawiller sent her forward and wide on the home turn, and responded generously all the way up the long straight to win by two lengths from Stole and Skyerush.

Chris Waller said, “She has been a great horse for me and she has been with us for a long time. She has consistently been there as we’ve been growing.”

Consistency has been Vintedge’s hallmark: she has won or placed in 22 of her 37 starts across five seasons, and her earnings stand just short of $600,000. Unplaced in her only start at two, she blossomed at three, winning four of her 12 starts but didn’t gain black type until last spring she won the Newcastle JC Tibbie S. LR after two stakes placings.

This year she has extended her range beyond 1600 metres, adding two stakes placings at 1900m and 2000m in the autumn, but the Matriarch was both her first win at 2000 metres, and her first attempt in Group 2 company.

Vintedge is a half-sister to stakeswinner Youths Edge from the Rory’s Jester mare Alternative Edge, a winning sister to G1 Racer’s Edge – all descended from the outstanding racemare How Now. Alternative Edge has a yearling colt by Flying Spur and is foaling again to Arrowfield’s champion sire of 84 stakeswinners.

Vintedge is Flying Spur’s 4th Australian stakeswinner this season, after 3YO fillies Bliss Street, Gliding & Satin Shoes. Today’s result has taken Flying Spur’s domestic season earnings through the million-dollar mark, to $1,175,553.