There were some big performances at Ipswich on Wednesday, none more so than the three-year-old I Am Invincible colt Ring Of Steel.
Ridden by James Orman for Kelly Schweida, Ring Of Steel was in a race of his own of the final 200m metres in the 1200m 3yo c&g maiden.
Under little more than a hand ride, Ring Of Steel defeated the Deep Field gelding Deep Millions by six and a half lengths, with the Spirit Of Boom gelding I Say Boom two and a quarter length back in third.
Ring Of Steel was well-fancied when making his debut in an 1100m 2yo maiden at Doomben in June last year.
The son of I Am Invincible pulled up with a mouthful of blood and respiratory issues and was making a reappearance after 42 weeks.
The Gall Bloodstock-bred colt was a $400,000 purchase for his trainer from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is a brother to the Bjorn Baker-trained Randwick winner Infatuation and a half to Proven Thoroughbreds’Group 1 BRC JJ Atkins Plate runner-up Gotta Kiss (Not a Single Doubt).
Gotta Kiss was an $800,000 purchase for Gall Bloodstock/Peter Morgan from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2021 National Broodmare Sale. She foaled an I Am Invincible colt last spring and went back to the reigning champion Australia stallion.
Ring Of Steel is the third winner from as many foals for the stakes-placed Strada mare Sweet Kiss. A $240,000 purchase for Pedrille Thoroughbreds at the 2017 National Broodmare Sale, Sweet Kiss followed her daughter to the court of I Am Invincible last spring.