Kearneys make a splash in Sydney
As a younger woman working in pre-training at Muskoka Farm, Desiree Kearney developed a special bond with one sprightly colt in particular. He went by a formidable name – I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
Kearney, now a trainer, could of course never had predicted Vinnie would become the siring phenomenon he now is. And as he thrived – towards a hat-trick of champion sire titles – and Kearney and husband Mitch built a small stable at Hawkesbury, it also became the stuff of dreams that they might own one of the stallion’s coveted offspring.
The couple, now in their 30s, have in the past half-dozen years attended yearling sales largely looking in the shop window, dreaming that one day they’d be able to be more active in the buying market.
Now, after an Inglis Classic sale in which they’ve burst onto the buying scene in a very big way – thanks to an old mate giving them the leg-up they’ve yearned for – the Kearneys will be going home with a collection of horses so life-changingly large, it could just about double the size of their stable.
Not only that, one of them is by Desiree’s old favourite himself.
“Mitch and I used to work together at Muskoka, and we rode a lot of the pre-trainers and the breakers,” Desiree told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I Am Invincible was one horse I had a lot to do with. I used to ride him in pre-training, and he was one of my favourite horses. It’s amazing that we’ve now got one of his stock in our stable.”
The Kearneys approached Classic with 14 horses in their Hawkesbury stable, from which they’ve averaged in the single figures with winners in their seven years of operations.
Now – thanks to the backing of a friend Mitch played football with as a kid in building industry executive Daniel Springfield – the Kearneys have 25. They signed for ten yearlings with Springfield over the three days at Riverside, costing a combined $1,345,000 – making the combination the sale’s second-top buyers. Plus the Kearneys bought another yearling themselves.
Among the trio’s haul was Lot 67, that I Am Invincible colt from the great stallion’s home, Yarraman Park, from the stakes-placed Black Champagne (Denman), for whom the trio paid $270,000.
“He had style, a great look in his eye, thick bone – he was so well put together and had such a beautiful presence,” Desiree said. “Daniel took one look and said, ‘I’m not leaving without him’.”
But that wasn’t the top lot for the newly prominent triumvirate. They went to $360,000 for Lot 482, a colt from Yulong by the stud’s also remarkable stallion Written Tycoon (Iglesia) out of Not A Choice (Not A Single Doubt), a winning daughter of stakes winner Hussy By Choice (Hussonet).
“We looked at him quite a few times,” Kearney said. “He’s quite leggy, got good bone, is very well put together, and he holds value as a stallion prospect as well. Written Tycoon is getting older, so who knows how many more of them will be around?”
Kearney mentioned one son of Written Tycoon making waves at stud, in Ole Kirk. The Kearneys and Springfield bought two of those too: Lot 145 is a grey filly from Torryburn Stud and is out of one of the farm’s star mares, De Chorus Line (The Factor), a half-sister to former Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Hot King Prawn (Denman); and Lot 300, from Ole Kirk’s home Vinery Stud, is a colt with stakes-winning second and third dams.
Those two cost only $60,000 and $80,000 respectively. The Kearneys and Springfield had to go a little further for their third stand-out, paying $240,000 for Lot 366, a Tyreel Stud filly by Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), who’s a half-sister to Flemington Listed winner Kalino (Pierro).
Rounding out the trio’s haul were colts by Lonhro and So You Think (High Chaparral), and fillies by Written Tycoon, his son Capitalist (Written Tycoon), and Zousain (Zoustar).
In addition the Kearneys – who had Sheeza Diva (Pierro) in Saturday’s Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m) at Randwick – also bought themselves a filly by Trapeze Artist (Snitzel).
The young couple said they were extremely grateful for Springfield’s support.
“We’ve been going to the sales for about six years,” Desiree said. “We’ve been and looked but we’ve never really been given the opportunity to purchase. This is the first time we’ve purchased and had a good crack. We’ve always liked Classic. You get good value for money and still get very nice horses.
“Daniel has been a good friend for a long time. He’s always been involved in syndicates, and had a few good ones, but he came to us a while ago and said, ‘What do we have to do to get you guys off the ground?’
“They wanted to get out of syndicates and do it on their own, and this is the head start we haven’t had yet.
“It doesn’t matter how hard you try, it’s very hard to compete against the bigger trainers, but if you’ve got a good client behind you to get you off the ground, it really helps.
“I’m pretty confident that what we’ve bought here this week have what it takes to have them at their best and competing as young stock and hopefully go on to be good breeders as well.”
Sale statistics – Overall
2025 2024
Catalogued 806 808
Offered 721 721
Sold 574 (80%) 591 (82%)
Aggregate $54,103,500 (-2.2%) $55,352,000
Average $94,257 (0.6%) $93,658
Median $70,000 $70,000
Top Lot $520,000 $600,000