General in command at Headquarters

Lauriston Thoroughbreds homebred General Truce gave Tony Vasil a welcome return to the training ranks at Flemington on Saturday.

General Truce (8g Brief Truce – General Resolve by General Nediym) was Vasil’s first starter in over two years after he was sidelined with depression.  The veteran sprinter loves the straight-course and firmed from $31 into $18 before winning the Jezabeel Hcp (1000m).

“I was up at the Gold Coast Sales and ran into James O’Brien,” Vasil said.  “He asked if I would be interested in training the old sprinter.  It’s given me something to do and it’s a bit of a fairy-tale.”

General Truce had won the G3 VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) in November 2009 and returned to headquarters for wins in the LR Kensington Stakes (1000m), LR Century Stakes (1100m) and Yarraville Hcp (1000m).

Victorian stalwart Brief Truce sired him from General Resolve who is related to Marscay speed machines Jetball (G1 AJC Galaxy Hcp) & Marwina (G3 AJC Stan Fox Stakes).  She had a perfect four-from-four record at stud foaling the winners General Truce, Arctic Command (Freeze), Complete Control (Rubiton) and Swiftly Red (Testa Rossa).

Corinella-based Lauriston Thoroughbreds retained Complete Control and sold her Commands yearling filly to Randwick Bloodstock for $170,000 at the Melbourne Premier in March.

James O’Brien is operations manager at Lauriston and he was on the Gold Coast selling four foals with a Snitzel filly leading the quartet at $135,000.  She is a younger half-sister to Adelaide stakes filly Zellindi and Chris Waller’s recent Newcastle winner Rakitno.

Lauriston Thoroughbreds also bought two young mares in foal to Written Tycoon with Hot Novelist topping the duo at $150,000.  She’s carrying a three-quarter relation to Written Tycoon’s G2 Danehill Stakes winner Rich Enuff.