by Bernard Kenny
What a season I Am Invincible is having! Champion Australian Sire of 2YOs without having a winner of the Golden Slipper, Blue Diamond Stakes or Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and no 2yo Group 1 winners.
To date in this 2018-19 season he has sired 20 juvenile winners from 58 starters and $3.3m in stakes. His filly Loving Gaby his best in winning the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield, second in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and ATC Champagne Stakes with fourth in the Golden Slipper Stakes.
Star Thoroughbreds 5yo mare Invincibella became I Am Invincible’s eight Group 1 winner for the season in winning the Tattersalls Tiera of 1400m at Eagle Farm, the final Group 1 event for 2018-19. This victory gave Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller a record eight Group 1 wins for the season.
Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds purchased her for $185,000 purchase at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, on the strong advice of Brett Howard of Randwick Bloodstock. So highly impressed was Denise Martin that she has since purchased 11 yearlings by I Am Invincible.
“Future plans for Invincibella have not been finalised,” said Denise Martin. “She could be retired after this Brisbane Winter Carnival, however with recent Group 1 and Group 2 wins added to her already impressive CV that proposal may now need a rethink.”
“Her owner group will most likely offer her for sale as a broodmare when the time is right. Her race performances together with her pedigree and great conformation will ensure she will attract great interest from breeders looking for elite level mares, when that time is reached.”
News is that world champion Winx will be mated with I Am Invincible at Yarraman Park Stud this year, in her maiden season. She will also join undefeated champion Black Caviar at Yarraman Park who has a filly foal by I Am Invincible, is again in-foal to him and likely to be mated a third time.
“We’re delighted Winx is coming and hope she has a nice foal,” said Arthur Mitchell of Yarraman Park. “I Am Invincible comes up pretty well on pedigree. It seems pretty logical, a big good looking horse who gets mostly good types and can put a bit of speed into her, it seems a pretty sensible mating.”
In retiring with a world record of 25 Group 1 victories, Winx won 37 races from 43 starts and over $26.5m in stakes. She won all her final 33 races with a record four victories in the WS Cox Plate, ‘the weight-for-age championship of Australia.’
I Am Invincible’s 4yo daughter Houtzen could not add the Royal Ascot King’s Stand Stakes to her Magic Millions 2YO Classic in finishing eight to champion sprinters Blue Point and Battaash. Houtzen dipped badly on jumping before Kerrin McEvoy has her racing with the leaders, but she faded 2 furlongs out.
Aquis chief executive Shane McGrath reported “she is absolutely flying” about Houtzen prior to Royal Ascot. And afterwards “there is a nice race for her at Goodwood before she is served southern hemisphere time by Lope De Vega, who will also serve travelling companion Acqume.”
“We had a good chat with trainer Toby Edmonds after the dust had settled. Given there is nearly six weeks to Goodwood it makes sense from a practical, logistical and financial point of view to transfer her to English trainer Martin Meade.”
Houtzen was a $105,000 buy from Book 2 of the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale consigned by Yarraman Park Stud. In addition to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and $2m in stakes she has won the PJ Bell Stakes and Moonee Valley Champagne Stakes.
Also, this season I Am Invincible is second to Snitzel on the Champion Australian Sires listing with earnings of $15.7m with his Group 1 winners being Oohood, Viddora, Voodoo Lad and Media Sensation in addition to Invincibella. He is also third on the Leading 3YO Sires table.
In being Champion First Season Sire in 2013-14 I Am Invincible sired Brazen Beau to win the Newmarket Handicap, Coolmore Stud Stakes and second in Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Today Brazen Beau sits third as Champion First Season Sire and has winners in Europe.
In the sales ring his Oakleigh Girl colt was $1.7m top price at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with 56 lots selling averaging $440,089. At the Australian Easter Yearling Sale the full-brother to Gimcrack Stakes winner Catch Me was his best seller at $1.4m, with his 25 lots selling for $12.3m.
Also, at Yarraman Park is I Am Invincible’s son Hellbent, whose ‘explosive win in the William Reid was unbelievable. In four Group 1 starts he was never worse than fourth and was very unlucky in 2017 William Reid & 2018 Oakleigh Plate.’
Standing 160hh ‘Hellbent has a 3×3 double cross of Green Desert, which has been a very successful cross. In being I Am Invincible’s fourth Group 1 winner and 29th stakes winner he is out of Volksraad mare Volkaspray, from the family of Golden Slipper winner Pago Pago.’