I Am Invincible gelding Garibaldi has been racing very consistently since the start of the season and the Tony Gollan trained six year-old claimed his biggest prize to date when taking out the $200,000 Group III BRC George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
He surged home late for Ryan Maloney to win by more than a length over Contemptuous taking his overall record to eight wins and 11 placings from 33 starts with prizemoney topping $600,000.
Garibaldi was a $475,000 buy for Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) / Gollan Racing / Aquis from the Carramar Farm draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
“I’ve loved him since the day we bought him,” Tony Gollan said.
“He’s been a lovely horse from the first day he stepped in the stable and when he won his first two-year-old race at Eagle Farm.
“It has taken a while to get the routine right with him and he’s a lovely big horse but doesn’t like racing under 21 days between runs.
“In the right races he is awfully hard to beat.”
Ryan Maloney has forged a good partnership with Garibaldi having ridden him in his past four starts.
“It was a genuinely run race and he travelled beautifully,” Moloney said.
“All the stars aligned today with the barrier and the sting out of the ground.
“He did it all on guts and determination. He’s a determined and honest galloper.
“He’s a stable favourite and you can see why.”
Garibaldi was bred by Wayne and Pauline Alchin and is the best of three winners from six to race out of the Exceed And Excel mare Sonnenblume.
A three-quarter sister to Group I CF Orr stakes winner Shinzig and dual Listed stakes-winner Strada, Sonnenblume has a Capitalist filly that was a $280,000 purchase for Gollan Racing / John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) / Black Soil Bloodstock at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Carramar Park will offer the half-brother by Zousain to Garibaldi at 2023 Inglis as Lot 89.
I Am Invincible has had a slew of winners on Saturday with six around the country including Lubrication, who won the $150,000 Pierata Plate at Doomben and I Am Me, who won a $150,000 Benchmark 88 event at Rosehill, while Black Caviar’s daughter Invincible Caviar won her third race from five starts taking out an $80,000 Benchmark 70 event at the Pakenham Cup meeting in Victoria.
