Star mare Invincibella created history at the Gold Coast on Saturday when she won a third consecutive edition of the $1,000,000 Sky Racing Active Magic Millions Fillies & Mares (1300m).
In doing so, Chris Waller’s daughter of I Am Invincible – who was a $180,000 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds out of the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2015 Gold Coast Yearling Sale - became the first horse ever to win the same Magic Millions race three times.
The three-quarters-of-a-length margin over Irithea and Romani Girl was the most decisive of the six-year-old’s three Magic Millions wins and saw her overall record improve to 12 wins from 43 career starts, with more than $3 million in the bank for connections.
Waller, who made it a double for the day following Madam Rouge’s earlier victory in the Magic Millions Snippets, said Invincibella was a pleasure to train.
"After a few years, and we’ve seen it with a few other good horses in our stable, you keep things simple and they keep turning up and performing their best and it’s very special to be a part of horses like that," Waller said.
"We like our young horses, the two-year-olds, but the four, five and six-year-olds are still very much a part of our team and if you look after them, they look after you."
Bowman, who was also aboard Invincibella at the Gold Coast in 2019, said the mare had quickly become one of his favourite horses to ride.
The champion jockey said that, despite Invincibella having won multiple Stakes races including last year’s Group 1 Tatts Tiara (1400m), he had little doubt the 1300m of the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares is her best distance.
"She’s been really lucky with this race, it’s just the perfect distance for her," Bowman said.
“The management of her, to keep her coming back year after year and to race at the top level throughout the year at the other carnivals is just extraordinary.
"I’ve had a great association with her, she’s got a real soft spot in my heart and I’m just so proud she could come here and do it again."
Magic Millions