Spritely
seven year-old I Am Invincible gelding Voodoo Lad was always going to be ridden
cold from an outside gate in the $1million Group I WATC Winterbottom Stakes at
Ascot on Saturday and flew home from the clouds for hometown hero Damien Oliver
to score a crowd pleasing victory.
A multiple Group III winner and second in the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap
and MRC Sir Rupert Clark Stakes, the Darren Weir trained Voodoo Lad was overdue
for a win at the elite level and delivered at last in style.
Sporting the Segenhoe Stud colours, Voodoo Lad was electric over the concluding
stages and powered clear to win the 1200 metre sprint by three-quarters of a
length giving Segenhoe their first Group I success.
"I always thought this horse would be well suited in this race and he was too
strong," said Damien Oliver.
"He was great today. You just need to switch him off and produce him late."
Purchased for just $36,000 by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds from the Yarraman Park
draft at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale, Voodoo Lad has the overall record of 13
wins and 11 placings from 33 starts with prizemoney of $1.9 million.
"He really deserved that," said Darren Weir.
"He's missed a lot of other races by small margins, so he thoroughly deserved
it, a massive thrill."
Bred by the late Noel Leckie, Voodoo Lad is the last foal and third winner for
placed Gilded Time (USA) mare O'Fortuna, who died in 2012 and whose dam is a
sister to champion sprinter Schillaci.
Voodoo Lad is the seventh Group I winner Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible, who
is fully booked this spring at a fee of $192,500 and is the most represented sire
at the 2019 Magic Millions with 61 entries.
Voodoo Lad was not his only stakes-winner on Saturday with the speedy Gai
Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained mare Invincible Star finding her best form
at Rosehill to win the Listed ATC Starlight Stakes.
She led all the way to score a short head win in the 1100 metre dash taking her
overall record to three wins from 11 starts with prizemoney in excess of $525,000.
A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase for her trainers from the Yarraman Park
draft, Invincible Star (image Steve Hart) runs for a big syndicate of owners including David and
Shiralee Lilley in whose colours she runs.
Bred by Yarraman Park, Invincible Star is the fourth winner from four foals to
race from Romany Flyer, a half-sister by former Yarraman Park stalwart Catbird
to Group III winner Viking Hero.
The family also includes Group I winners Innocent King, Unworldly and Invest,
so Invincible Star is a valuable filly now with her impressive Black Type
resume.
Invincible Star is the 16th stakes-winner this season for I Am Invincible,
who is the leading Australian sire by winners and stakes-winners.