Hungry Heart shows appetite for Frankel in Vinery Stud Stakes

Frankel sired his 13th individual Group 1 winner and his first of this year as Hungry Heart benefited from an immaculate Kerrin McEvoy ride to land the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

Such a success had certainly been in the offing for the Yulong Investments homebred, who had already landed the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes as a juvenile last year as well as the Phar Lap Stakes at the same grade three weeks ago.

The Chris Waller-trained chestnut had been narrowly denied at the highest level in the Darley Flight Stakes last October but was on the right end of this tight finish, with McEvoy sweeping wide and late to snatch the prize from Harmony Rose's grasp.

Hungry Heart went through the ring for A$300,000 (£165,000/€195,000) at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, when offered by Yulong and bought by the Belmont Bloodstock Agency, but races in the green Zhang colours of the ownership family.

She is a first foal out of the Pivotal mare Harlech, who was bought as a once-raced maiden for 60,000gns from Godolphin by Yulong and Sheamus Mills at the 2016 Tattersalls July Sale. Yulong is to offer a half-sister by Snitzel at next week's Inglis Easter Sale.

Frankel's other Group 1 success down under came through Mirage Dancer, winner of the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick. He was well beaten by Cox Plate hero Sir Dragonet, Camelot's son, in the Tancred Stakes on the same card.

Waller said: "It was a great win, it was a great race to watch. She was back and at least they ran along quickly, so it gave the backmarkers their chance.

"But gee, with 300 metres to run I could see her making her run but it was starting to tell. There was a lot of ground to make up but in the last 100m she really fought hard and got there quite well.

"I think that win last start was a big help and, to me, today in that last 100m she could have easily run second but she really stuck her head out and tried her guts out."

There were a couple of other notable wins in Australia for less heralded European stallions. Windsor Knot, who still stands at John McEnery's Rossenarra Stud in Kilkenny, added a second Flat Group 3 to his accomplishments as the Rossenarra-bred Hang Man completed his rise through the ranks in the Easter Cup at Caulfield.

Born To Sea, who has served a dual-purpose market and moved from Ireland to Haras des Faunes in France for 2019, also sired his second Group 3 Flat scorer as Denis McDonnell's Irish-bred Shared Ambition was another Waller winner on the Rosehill card in the Neville Sellwood Stakes.

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