Having wrapped up the Australian first season sires' premiership and with the 'fully booked' signs erected outside his box at Vinery Stud some time ago, Ole Kirk is already starting to shape the nation's breeding landscape, but according to those who know him best, the son of Written Tycoon bears all the hallmarks of becoming a generational talent.
After unbeaten filly Ole Dancer carried her father's prize-money bounty past the AU$3.4 million mark courtesy of her victory in the opener at Caulfield last Saturday, Ole Kirk has built an unassailable lead over his first season rivals with more than AU$500,000 now separating him from Coolmore's shuttler Wootton Bassett in second place.
Vinery's flagbearer is therefore assured leading freshman honors by every metric bar individual winners, with his Golden Slipper (G1) winning rival Farnan currently leading that count by the narrowest of margins (14 to 13) as the clock counts down to the start of the new racing season this Friday.
If recent history has taught anything, however, it's that landing the first season sires' crown is no guarantee of future success, with the likes of 2015 winner Rothesay, his successor Love Conquers All, and 2020 table topper Spill The Beans ultimately unable to build on their early precocity in the breeding barn.
But none of that trio produced a stakes winner from their first crop, so it is safe to say that Ole Kirk has already laid firmer foundations with his juveniles O' Ole, Prestige Forever, Legacy Bound, and King Kirk all emulating their sire by adding early black-type to their respective resumés.
Given that we did not see the very best of Ole Kirk until his 3-year-old campaign, which was headlined by back-to-back elite-level victories in the Golden Rose (G1) and the Caulfield Guineas (G1) in the spring of 2020, there is every reason to expect that his first crop is only just getting started.
That is certainly the view of Vinery's Adam White, who assumed the general manager role at the start of the month following the departure of the fabled farm's founder Peter Orton.
Like everyone at the Scone institution, having witnessed his professionalism at close quarters, White holds Ole Kirk in the highest regard and his lofty ambitions have been met, if not exceeded, over the past 12 months, which he believes justifies an elevated service fee of AU$99,000 (inc. GST) for the upcoming season.
"We obviously had high hopes for Ole Kirk in his first season, but in some respects, he probably has exceeded those expectations," White told ANZ News.
"He was obviously a very talented 2-year-old and we know Written Tycoon is establishing a growing reputation as a sire of sires, so with the right mares there was very chance that Ole Kirk would really hit the ground running.
"What probably surprised me the most was how quickly his success came around, with King Kirk winning the Breeders' Plate at the start of October in Sydney. Then O' Ole ran second in the Gimcrack and went on to win the Magic Millions 2-Year-Old Classic, so he was off and running and managed to maintain that momentum right throughout the season."
