Lanskey glad he kept Classic graduate
The Melbourne Cup win saw his prize-money earnings skyrocket to $5,722,690 with his fourth victory and five placings from 13 starts.
Vow And Declare is a half-brother to Listed-winning stablemate Lycurgus (Star Witness), who won the Galilee Series Final (Listed, 2400m), while he has a yearling half-sister by Star Witness (Starcraft) who will be offered by Widden Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He also has a half-sister by Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) who was born on September 19, while Geblitzt has since been covered by Coolmore’s US Triple Crown-winning shuttler American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile).
“Her first foal was a Star Witness who raced as Lycurgus. We expected we were breeding a sprinter but Danny (O’Brien) sent the blood samples to Ireland and they came back as a 2400-metre horse,” Lanskey said.
“In conjunction with Sheamus Mills, I then organised for the mare to go to Declaration Of War and when those blood tests came back they were saying 2800 metres-plus. So, we trained this bloke as a stayer, he debuted over 1600 metres but Danny said we wouldn’t see the best of him until he got to 2000 metres and further … and the rest is history.”
Lanskey said the early ability displayed by Lycurgus prompted him to retain Vow And Declare to race after he was passed at the Classic sale.
“Geoff Corrigan, the senior owner of Lycurgus, came in for 35 per cent then another 15 per cent and the rest is really family, my sons, nephews, my partners,” he said.
“It’s amazing. You can’t explain this feeling. It’s phenomenal.”
Geblitzt, who won five races up to 1400 metres, is a three-quarter sister to the stakes winner Deledio (Testa Rossa) and a half-sister to the stakes-placed Madibagold (Johannesburg) and Sudden Wealth (Time Thief). Vow And Declare’s second dam is Aim For Gold (End Sweep) who was runner-up in the AJC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) as a two-year-old.