I Am Invincible finished the season as not only overall champion sire, but also the Champion Sire of 3YO’s so let’s take a look a three of his stakes-winning 2YO’s from last season that all won barrier trials on Tuesday morning in preparation for spring campaigns.
Last year’s Group I ATC Golden Rose winner In the Congo had not won a stakes race at this time last year, so has come a long way in 12 months and the four year-old Snitzel stallion looked to be in fine fettle with this strong trial win over his stablemates Converge and Dajraan, both sons of champion sire Frankel.
Raced by Newgate, China Horse Club and partners, The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained In The Congo could have gone to stud this spring, but connections elected to give him another season of racing as they did last year with another Snitzel stallion in Wild Ruler.
Wild Ruler rewarded them with a Group I win in the MVRC Moir Stakes and has now retired to Newgate to stand this spring at fee of $38,500 and In The Congo may well do the same.
Peter and Paul Snowden unleashed two of their stakes-winning fillies from last season by I Am Invincible with Cythera and Ebhaar both winning their second trials back this morning.
A stakes-winner on debut of the Listed ATC Lonhro Plate and then third to Best of Bordeaux in the Group II ATC Silver Slipper, Cythera is fast, professional and has a deep pedigree that would suggest Princess Series.
She’s a half-sister to a couple of fast horses by Snitzel in Thronum and Rule of Law, but her third dam is Irish Oaks winner Helen Street, best know as the dam of champion sire Street Cry and grand-dam of another champion sire Shamardal.
A homebred for Emirates Park, Ebhaar looked a good filly when winning the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes last spring on debut, but her two runs in the autumn were dreadful and both can’t be blamed on heavy tracks.
She’s had two trials back and won both of them, but I still want to see her on race day as there are obviously two of her and the one that trialled today is the preferred option!
Ebhaar is bred strictly for speed being from a half-sister by Exceed and Excel to Merchant Navy. It’s an outstanding family, but 1400m usually pulls them all up with the exception of Bonaria, who saved her best efforts for 1600m at Flemington winning three stakes races over that course including the Group I VRC Myer Classic.
Tony Gollan might have a very good I Am Invincible colt on his hands with unbeaten Nettuno looking awesome in his trial on Tuesday morning at Doomben.
Last seen winning the Group III Ken Russell Memorial Classic, Nettuno is yet to race the A graders, but gee he’s a nice looking colt and pedigree would suggest best is to come being from a Group winning daughter of Galileo in Saint Minerva.
Bred and sold by Yarraman Park, who have kept a little share in his ownership, Nettuno will be going in the Black Book.
This was a hot heat won by Maurice (Jpn) gelding Kibou over boom Snitzel colt Zoukerino with Group II ATC Percy Sykes Stakes winner Paris Dior (Pierro) a quiet third.
Hard not to see this trio making an impact in the early season stakes races.
A maiden after four starts, Not a Single Doubt filly Pantonario has form around the best fillies placing in three of those starts. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, she was made to win this heat, so hopefully has learned something that will see her repeat the effort on race day.
Click here to see all the Randwick trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
