I Am Invincible (Aus) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hill ‘N’ Dale Partners To Buy AU$1.7 Million Topper At Magics

There was an international flavor to the top lot through the ring on Friday's fourth session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in Australia, with Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds teaming up with Jes Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) to secure a filly by I Am Invincible (Aus) for AU$1.7 million (US$1,140,479), as reported by The Thoroughbred Report.

The purchase represents the first foray into the Australian market for Hill 'n' Dale. The farm's Jes Sikura was one of a number of people high-fiving others on the Waterhouse- Bott table as a round of applause broke out in the Magic Millions auditorium moments after auctioneer Clint Donovan brought the gavel down.

Offered by Widden Stud, the filly is the first progeny of the G2 Tristarc S. winner Madam Rouge (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who collected six victories on the track. Her grand dam, Cabernet (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) also enjoyed a sextet of successes, headlined by the Listed Summond S. The damline doesn't end there, with great-grandam Golden Weekend (Aus) (Nine Carat) a talented 2-year-old performer and a producer of three foals to race for as many winners.

Sikura was visibly delighted and was quick to thank Johnson, whose relationship with Hill 'n' Dale was pivotal in bringing the group of successful purchasers together. “We really didn't have too much intention to get involved in anything when we came over here, but I have to give complete credit to Will Johnson,” Sikura said. “He's always at the top of his game, he finds the nicest horses in every sale and it wouldn't have happened without him, especially without Gai and Adrian putting together such a good group.

“Being by I Am Invincible, she really ticked all the boxes and we thought if there was some point to get involved, she was the one to do it with.

Trent Needham, Antony Thompson, Noel Greenhalgh, Will Johnson, Jes Sikura, Adrian Bott, Barry Bowditch with Gai Waterhouse, Maria Greenhalgh and Patricia Bourke | Magic Millions

“They [the auctioneer] were definitely fighting for the AU$1.8 million up there and we were shaking a little bit, so we were happy to get it at AU$1.7 million. She was worthy of every dollar and we're excited for the future.”

“It's great to have Jes in Australia and it's great to have that international investment from downtown Kentucky,” Johnson said. “A massive thank you to John Sikura and his family and a massive thanks to Gai, Adrian and Bruce Slade for getting to work because, as we know, these are expensive fillies, so you have to be organized. It's exciting times ahead.”

The AU$1.7 million sale wrote another chapter in the story of Widden Stud and Madam Rouge, with the leading nursery having bred her, sold her as a yearling, retained a share in her to race and then bought out some of their partners to secure her from the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale for AU$2.7 million back in 2022.

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Imperatriz Tops Royal Ascot Wishlist

Representatives from Ascot have made star New Zealand mare Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) the top of their wishlist for the Royal Ascot meeting in June next year. Nick Smith, Ascot's Director of Racing and Public Affairs, said he believes Te Akau Racing's crown jewel would be perfect for either the G1 King's Stand S. or the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S.

“She's showing a lot of consistency and that's what you want with travelling horses,” Smith commented. “A lot of the horses that have one good run and jump on the plane aren't as successful. But you know she's the best horse and she suits all sorts of circumstances. If she maintains her form, as most Australian sprinters do, she'll go to the top of the market.”

While Smith also added that he'd briefly spoken to Imperatriz's connections about the possibility, he included that those discussions were at a very early stage. “It's definitely one step at a time but there has been some interest expressed.”

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Q&A: Inglis’s Sebastian Hutch

Within the backdrop of a global pandemic, the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale Round 1 was staged as a virtual sale in early April. At the time, Inglis made a decision to also offer vendors the chance to sell their yearlings at a live sale in July. TDN’s Gary King caught up with Inglis’s Sebastian Hutch to find out more about Easter Round 2.

TDN: Easter Round 1, highlighted by a AU$1.8-million Snitzel (Aus) colt, was deemed a major success especially considering the circumstances. You must have been pleased with how it went?

Sebastian Hutch: I think it’s fair to say that the version of the sale which was held across the traditional date in April exceeded the expectations of the very vast majority of participants. It was uncharted territory for a major international yearling sale to be held in a virtual format, so there was an element of trepidation in advance of the sale as I’m sure people can appreciate.

However we had outstanding support from vendors, buyers and other industry stakeholders, while our own internal structures, particularly in the case of IT, performed very efficiently. Inevitably we learnt plenty as a collective from the experience and it has helped us find ways of further improving the services that we offer through our auction processes.

TDN: And now Easter Round 2 is set to take the form of a traditional live auction on Sunday, July 5th. What are your expectations?

SH: Easter Round 2 is a concept that was formulated during the period of great uncertainty in late-March, early-April. It was recognized, that despite best endeavors, some vendors just were not going to be in a position to achieve appropriate results through the virtual sale, primarily due to their respective locations. With that in mind, it was agreed to offer an alternative sale that would be scheduled for a time when we were hopeful that a live auction would be possible.

A few days out from the sale, having encountered a number of challenges, we have yearlings on the complex and inspections underway from Wednesday. To that end, it is a relief to have made it to where we are. Understandably given the circumstances, expectations are guarded. Interest in the sale from investors has been encouraging, but we have some restrictions in terms of those who can participate owing to racing authority and state government guidelines which is far from ideal.

However, the stock is of good quality and the consistent success of Easter graduates over the years sets a strong precedent for the likelihood of top-class racehorses emerging from this session of the sale.

TDN: What COVID-19 related precautions have you in place for people attending the sale?

SH: We have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place which takes into account the prescribed guidelines from the relevant authorities and has been approved by them. We require all attendees at the complex, be they vendors, buyers or staff to register their attendance in advance of the sale through a portal available on our website. We will be implementing social distancing measures and promoting good hygiene as a matter of priority. We are conscious of creating an environment that is safe for our patrons, who we know are excited at the prospect of being able to attend and participate in a series of live sales again.

TDN: As expected for an Easter Sale, there looks to be a strong group of horses on paper. Could you highlight a few that would especially appeal to an international audience.

SH: We are very pleased with how the catalog has come together. It is made-up primarily of horses that were not offered at the sale in April, horses that are effectively new to our buying bench. A huge part of the appeal of the Australian market is that if buyers, domestically or internationally, want access to the progeny of I Am Invincible (Aus) or Snitzel (Aus), two of the best stallions in the world, they have to shop in Australasia.

We are fortunate to have quality offerings by each in the sale, in particular through the Yulong draft. The I Am Invincible/Gypsy Diamond colt, lot 85, is a star, as is the Snitzel/Gypsy Tucker filly, lot 86. The Yulong draft is the highlight of the sale. Yulong is a hugely progressive breeding operation that has made massive investment in quality stock in recent years and this is reflected in the strength of their draft.

In terms of other stallions, it is fantastic to have Frankel (GB) and American Pharoah well represented in the sale. Over 30% of Frankel’s Australasian-bred progeny are black-type horses while American Pharoah, as expected, looks to be making a big impression with his first 3-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere.

The timing of the sale is also potentially advantageous to some of the younger stallions, a prime example being Vancouver (Aus) who has enjoyed a purple patch with his first 2-year-olds since May, with five individual winners and a stakes winner, pegging him as a really exciting prospect going forward.

From a pedigree point of view, among the most interesting are the Capitalist/Savannah’s Choice filly, lot 39, who is out of a half-sister to the dam of 3 champions in Japan including Saturnalia (Jpn), as well as the I Am Invincible/Miss Atom Bomb colt, lot 95, who is out of a half-sister to the great Winx (Aus).

TDN: What’s the best way for international participants unable to travel to get involved? Will there be an option for online bidding?

SH: As is the case for all of our auctions, we will have our online bidding service available. Interested parties just need to visit https://inglis.com.au/sales/onlinebidding/ and follow the simple process to register.

Additionally, we will have the sale streamed live through our website. The sale will be worked by many of Australia’s leading agents and trainers, while the Inglis Bloodstock Team is always available to assist. I encourage anyone who is considering getting involved in the sale to contact a member of our team and every effort will be made to facilitate any requirements.

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