Two horses by Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard gave a glimpse of their young sire’s potential with impressive performances at the back end of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Villermont, a New South Wales bred grandson of Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay through her Gr.1 Coolmore Classic winning daughter Bollinger, stormed home late to snatch the Gr.2 Sandown Guineas in a manner that suggested an Australian Guineas or even a Rosehill Guineas might not be beyond him.
A $250,000 purchase from the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the Aaron Purcell trained colt is a half-brother to the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire, and was having just his fourth career start when winning at Sandown. Villermont is the last foal out of Bollinger.
Villermont’s success came just nine days after another All Too Hard first crop three-year-old in All Too Huiying led all the way to win an 1800 metre Listed event at Flemington. Gr.2 placed over the Brisbane Winter Carnival, All Too Huiying has taken some time to mature and is still learning to race, but as a half-brother to the three time Gr.1 winner Happy Trails he has now found his mark in the 1800-2000 metre range.
While the market expected that, as a half-brother to Black Caviar, All Too Hard would get two-year-old types, it is worth remembering that arguably his two best performances were at three when winning the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas and when runner up in the W S Cox Plate. His first crop horses are merely following suit.
