Brilliant sprinter-miler, now young Arrowfield sire Olympic Glory is off the mark in Europe and ready to fire in Australia. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)

Olympic Glory gets off the mark

OLYMPIC GLORY GETS OFF THE MARK

Four-time Group 1 winner Olympic Glory is off the mark in Europe with his first crop of 2YOs. 

Doing the honours are Blury, successful in Italy last month, and the filly Mintd, who scored by 3 lengths at Listowel in Ireland on Sunday. 

Mintd gave an indication of her ability when second on 7 May to the Ballydoyle filly Fairyland, who subsequently won a Listed Race at The Curragh.  This time Mint’d’s trainer Willie McCreery said, “We had the draw and had to use it and she quickened up nicely.

“She is a nice filly and was second to probably the best filly (Fairyland) in Ireland the last day and it’s good that she has gone and won and franked that form.

“We’ll start looking at black-type now…she is a lovely filly and has grown again.”

Mintd is out of the Raven’s Pass mare Lisanor, from the immediate family of stakes-winning fillies Maid of Camelot and Apple Charlotte. Blury’s dam Marablu is a 2YO winner by Invincible Spirit, and a sister to Listed winner Moonlife. 

Olympic Glory’s first Australian yearlings attracted plenty of lively bidding at the major 2018 sales. Twenty-three of his 24 Magic Millions & Inglis Easter yearlings sold for an average price of $147,304, more than 8 times his fee, with top prices of $600,000 paid for the Downtown Manhattan colt, and $400,000 for the Lets Make Adeal filly. 

Buyers included Paul Perry, who added 9 Olympic Glory yearlings to his stable, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Gerald Ryan & David Payne, Craig Rounsefell, Paul Moroney, Julian Blaxland, George Moore & Carmel Size,   Darby Racing, Triple Crown Syndications, Proven Thoroughbreds & Spicer Thoroughbreds.

Olympic Glory’s four Group 1 victories were achieved over 1400 metres and a mile, at two, three and four, and he ended his career with a Timeform figure of 130.