3 minute read

Testimonials seem to flow every week for the siring ability of Testa Rossa, the former star standing at Vinery Stud in the Segenhoe Valley near Scone.

The final week of the 2010-11 season has been no exception.

It has seen the son of the Danzig sire Perugino and Bo Dapper, an unraced daughter of Vain's Golden Slipper winner Sir Dapper, end the year with a treble at Flemington last Saturday – Sidecar Testascana and Gossip Girl –

and then another winner, There's Only One, mid week at Sandown.

It was Testa Rossa's second treble in Melbourne this season.

His final statistics for the year will be over 120 winners (seven SWs) of 180 races and $6million. He will finish in the top ten by money, winners, wins and stakes winners.

Testa Rossa has been one of the top ten Australian sires in each of the last three years, accumulating nationally in 2008-09 96 winners,178 wins and $5,447,381 and for 2009-10 133 winners, 203 wins and $6,122,587.

He is now into a decade of use as a stallion, starting his career as a sire in 2001 at Yallambee Stud in Victoria before he was transferred to Vinery in 2006.

At Vinery he has had high quality books of 158, 145. 135,158 and 113 that should make him even more effective in the future.

Turning 15 on August 1, he was a magnificent racehorse from1000m to 1600m, racing 27 times for 13 wins including six G1 victories in the MRC Futurity, Invitation Stakes twice, VRC Emirates, Lightning and Sires' Produce Stakes.

He was second in the MRC Caulfield Guineas, Blue Diamond Stakes and Ascot Vale Stakes and a Cox Plate fourth.

One of his five wins from seven appearances at two was in the prestigious Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic at the Gold Coast.

He is one over seventy graduates of the Magic Millions yearling sales at the Gold Coast to join the million dollar earners club after costing just $45,000 as a yearling.

Magic Millions paid homage to Testa Rossa by naming him Sire of the Week following the July 23 Melbourne treble.

Stromberg Carlson, a half-brother by Redoute's Choice to Testa Rossa and the yet to be represented Testa Rossa stakes winning sprinter Publishing, who covered 123 mares in his first season in 2009, are at stud in Queensland.