Swettenham Stud set a record price for a filly at the Melbourne Premier when its Fastnet Rock – Hidden Energy filly sold for $675,000 on Sunday. Mornington trainer Pat Carey signalled the final bid to get the better of Coolmore Stud’s Tom Magnier at Oaklands. “I think she’s excellent value,” Carey said shortly after signing the sale sheet. “She would have made upwards of $800,000 at the Sydney Easter Sale.” It’s the highest price paid for a yearling filly at Oaklands since Rogerson Bloodstock parted with $570,000 for a King's Best filly at the 2006 Melbourne Premier. Two years later, Swettenham sold a Bel Esprit filly (as agent) for $210,000 at the Melbourne Premier and she found ever-last

Swettenham Stud has the most runners of any vendor from the 2015 Melbourne Premier Sale in this Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m). The Nagambie nursery sold Valliano (Equiano), Kinetic Design (Master of Design) and Sweet Sherry (Bel Esprit) twelve months ago and the trio have all qualified for the big one at Caulfield. Anticipation is building at Swettenham ahead of the Blue Diamond and the 2016 Melbourne Premier Sale on Sunday. Their latest crop of yearlings arrived at Oaklands Junction earlier this week and they’ve been full-on with inspections for last three days. “We started at 8.30 on Tuesday morning and they kept going without a break until 1.30,” Swettenham manager Michael Bo

Trainer Mick Price reckons Chapel Road will develop into a city-class horse when he fully matures at Caulfield. The Equiano gelding looked a promising prospect when he accelerated to a three-length victory in the Sam Miranda Wines Plate (1100m) at Wodonga on Saturday. “He’s speedy and tough but just needs to get there mentally,” Price said this week. “There’s city prizemoney ahead when he does.” Chapel Road (3g Equiano – Optimizing by Exceed And Excel) had faded first-up at Pakenham last month but the addition of ear muffs and a cross-over noseband made a marked difference. Backed into $2.30 favouritism, he was too good for fellow on-pacers Pacific Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and Forty Nine R

In 2013, leading Victorian nursery Swettenham Stud took a bold decision to add Melbourne Cup hero Americain (USA) to their stallion roster and three years on the globe-trotting Group I winner with the movie star looks is the most represented first season sire at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. A supremely talented stayer by one of the world’s best sires in Dynaformer, Americain was warmly greeted by Victorian breeders covering 155 mares in his debut season. Impressive first foals have grown into eye-catching yearlings and with 26 of his best youngsters accepted into Victoria’s flagship yearling sale it’s obvious what the auction house thinks of Americain. Now it’s time for the buyers

Brilliant Equiano two year-old Valliano has upped the ante for his younger sister at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale with a potent victory in the RL Inglis Premier (1200m) at Caulfield. Resuming after a three-month spell on Saturday, the Lindsay Park youngster settled midfield before launching a powerful sprint to win the $250,000 sales-related race by two lengths from Curvature (Snitzel) and Lessyd (Statue Of Liberty). Swettenham Stud sold Valliano for $60,000 at last year’s Melbourne Premier yearling sale and his younger sister is scheduled to go under the hammer as Lot 624 at Oaklands on March 2. The filly’s value will increase again if Valliano wins the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes back at C

Valliano will be leading the chasing pack to try and run down Extreme Choice in the Blue Diamond Stakes, after breaking his maiden in fine style in the $250,000 Inglis Premier (1200m). The Lindsay Park-trained gelding was a consistent performer in his three starts in the spring, including being narrowly headed by Dalradian in the Inglis race on Cox Plate Day. He turned the tables on Saturday, picking off Dalradian and Gretna to win by 2.5 lengths fromCurvature, with Lessyd in third. After their respective wins, Valliano is now a $17 chance for the feature, while Extreme Choice tightened from $5.50 to $3 - the clear pick ahead of Calliope ($7). Co-trainer Tom Dabernig said he fancies Valliano

Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (Ire) has his first foals on the ground in England and France. Al Shaqab Racing campaigned Toronado to Group 1 victories in the Sussex Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes and supported him with a strong book of mares at the English National Stud last year. His first foal at Al Shaqab’s Haras de Bouquetot arrived when Candicans delivered a colt at the Normandy nursery last week. “He is a very attractive foal, we’re thrilled,” studmaster Benoit Jeffroy said. “He’s the spitting image of his sire.” Candicans (Dansili) won the Prix Des Roseaux (2000m) at her fourth and final start for Juddmonte Farms. She is a sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Zambezi Sun and m