Spring Carnival Racing started with a bang for everyone at Sledmere Stud thanks to the brilliant first-up victory of Veight in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
One of the star 2-year-olds of the previous racing season, Veight began his spring 3-year-old campaign in the highly regarded Pattern Race and came through the test with flying colours. Ridden by Damian Lane for the father and son training team of Tony and Calvin McEvoy, the first-crop son of Grunt (NZ) finished all over the top of his well credentialed rivals to add another distinguished feature to his growing CV.
Having already claimed the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce during his juvenile season, Veight joined a McNeil Stakes honour roll which also includes the likes of Jacquinot (2022), Super Seth (2019), Merchant Navy (2017), Starspangledbanner (2009) and Bel Esprit (2002) — all of which went on to 3-year-old Group 1 success and ultimately a prominent stud career.
Veight was a joint Sledmere Stud-Cangon Stud Farm (Magic Millions) weanling sale purchase subsequently sold to McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) as a (Inglis Classic) yearling. This cracking colt is now the winner of three of his four starts — two at Group level — along with $405,490 in prizemoney.
In their respective post-race interviews, both senior co-trainer Tony McEvoy and junior co-trainer Calvin McEvoy spoke of major Group 1 targets for this very talented first-crop son of Yulong Stud resident stallion Grunt (NZ) in the coming weeks.
Calvin McEvoy was quoted in the press as saying: “There’s plenty of improvement [in race condition], which makes the win even more special … The plan we’ve been comfortable with all the way through is today, three weeks to the [Caulfield] Prelude, three weeks to the [Caulfield] Guineas. I think he’s going to come on leaps and bounds from today and at this stage, that’s the plan.”
Tony McEvoy also stated that the W.S. Cox Plate is in his thoughts after the Caulfield Guineas if everything went to plan, pointing out how well 3-year-olds can perform in the unofficial Weight-For-Age Championship of Australasia.
Understandably, Saturday was a hugely positive way to start the Spring Carnival Racing period and we at Sledmere Stud could not be more excited. The Group 3 McNeil Stakes victory of Veight was an exhilarating performance and we cannot wait to see what comes next.
POSTSCRIPT: Sledmere Stud graduates finished first and third in the McNeil Stakes, with Little Brose running on well over the closing stages to claim the minor placing. To his great credit, the 2023 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner carried top-weight of 59.5kg and ran right through the line. He’s also on his way to the Caulfield Guineas (1600) via the Caulfield Prelude (1400m) just as Veight.