Former Vinery stallion Twining (USA) has died, aged 24, in Japan.

The Forty Niner stallion had been based at the Breeders Stallion Station in Hokkaido after stints in Kentucky and Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley.  He has sired 644 winners and among his 37 stakes winners are USA based Two Item Limit, Pie N Burger, Connected, Dawn of the Condor, Top Hit and Tugger.   His Japanese son Nonkono Yume won the G3 Unicorn Stakes in Tokyo on June 21.

Twining was one of 7 stakes winners out of 1983 USA Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee (Never Bend).  From just 6 starts for Sheikh Mohammed in 1994, he won the G2 Peter Pan Stakes and G2 Withers Stakes and, in his only defeat, finished second to Horse of the Year Holy Bull in the G2 Dwyer Stakes.

Initially retired to Wimbledon Farm in Kentucky, he moved to East Stud in Japan in 1999 before returning to Wimbledon Farm in 2001.  He was purchased by Vinery Stud to shuttle between the USA and Australia before returning to Japan in 2003.

In Australia, he sired 75 foals from two books in 2002-03 and the best of them were Listed winners Mary’s Grace (Wyong Mona Lisa Stakes) and Soaressa (SAJC Proud Miss Stakes).