Giorgio Vasari just holds on at Limerick
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Giorgio Vasari (2 c ex Dream The Blues by Oasis Dream) got off the mark at the third attempt when he stayed on bravely to win the Patrickswell (C & G) Maiden (6.5f) at Limerick on Friday and in the process handed former Coolmore Stud shuttler Air Force Blue (War Front) with his third first-crop winner.
The colt was second on debut at Fairyhouse, but was last seen finishing fifth at Limerick and he showed improvement from both of those starts, beating Alex D (Oasis Dream) by a nose with another neck back to Trusted Ally (Territories) in third.
The two-year-old colt is one of four winners out of winning Oasis Dream (Green Desert) mare Dream The Blues, making him a half-brother to Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) winner and former Swettenham Stud shuttler Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy).
Dream The Blues herself is out of Group 3 winner Catch The Blues (Bluebird) - the dam of seven winners including Listed-placed Colour Blue (Holy Roman Emperor). Catch The Blues is also the grandam of Prix de Cabourg (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Catch Me (Camacho) and Listed scorer Vladimir (Kheleyf), who was also Group 1-placed.
Giorgio Vasari joins Giorgio Vasari and Listed-placed colt Chief Little Hawk as the stallion’s other winners.
Air Force Blue shuttled to Coolmore Stud’s Australia base for one season in 2017, where he covered 119 mares at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST) and he now stands exclusively at the operation’s Ashford base in Kentucky, where his fee in 2020 was US$15,000.
