The connections of all-time great racemare Winx, who retired in April riding a 33-race winning streak, have chosen the lucky stallion who will be her first suitor. After considering leading candidates around the world, Peter and Patty Tighe of Magic Bloodstock, Richard Treweeke, and Debbie Kepitis have opted to keep the rising eight-year-old home to visit hot Australian sire I Am Invincible.
Aside from his all-too-appropriate name for a Winx mate, I Am Invincible offers complementary bloodlines. He is a son of the Danzig-line stallion Invincible Spirit, himself the sire of such outstanding Europeans as Kingman, Moonlight Cloud, and current 2000 Guineas (G1) hero Magna Grecia.
I Am Invincible did not reach those heights on the racecourse, as a Group 3 winner and runner-up to Takeover Target in the 2009 Goodwood (G1). But the sprinter has excelled at stud since emerging as Australia’s champion freshman in 2013-14, and he just set a new record Down Under for most stakes winners in a single season. I Am Invincible’s tally for 2018-19 stands at 28, eclipsing the former Australian mark of 26 set by supersire Danehill and equaled by Snitzel.
His top progeny include multiple Group 1 winners Brazen Beau and Viddora, whose retirement was announced earlier this month. Brazen Beau, trained by Chris Waller before his Winx fame, was a terrific second in the 2015 Diamond Jubilee (G1) at Royal Ascot and now rates a promising young sire himself. I Am Invincible had another Royal Ascot runner this past week in Houtzen. Eighth behind Blue Point in the June 18 King’s Stand (G1), Houtzen is switching to English trainer Martyn Meade ahead of her career finale in the August 2 King George (G2) at Glorious Goodwood.
Standing for the highest stud fee in Australia – A$247,500 – I Am Invincible is in demand in the sales ring too. Winx’s first offspring would be a hot commodity in any event, but the marriage with an intensely commercial sire only ramps up the intrigue about whether owners will opt to sell her resulting foal.
Here is the Monday press release issued by the Winx connections:
Winx has settled into her new surrounds and seems very content in her retirement but as one chapter closes, another opens as Winx now embarks on her career as a broodmare. The ownership group of Peter and Patty Tighe (Magic Bloodstock), Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis are now excited to announce her covering sire for the 2019 breeding season. As owners, we have utilised and considered the expert advice of bloodstock professionals both domestically and internationally. We have sought the opinions of various pedigree consultants, bloodstock agents and stud managers. They provided us with the foundation of information to assess and use to compile the short list of stallions for consideration. This process highlighted the extreme depth to the stallion ranks in Australia and across the world, however when considering the options of traveling overseas her welfare remained of the highest priority and we decided she would remain in Australia for her first breeding season. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who made expressions of interest, the level of attention was overwhelming and something we are very grateful for. In closing, we are delighted to announce that Winx will visit “I Am Invincible” for the 2019 breeding season.
The team at I Am Invincible’s stud home, Yarraman Park in New South Wales, are obviously delighted:
All at Yarraman Park are absolutely chuffed with the news that Winx will visit I Am Invincible for the 2019 breeding season, very exciting times ahead for the farm! #yarramanpark #iaminvincible // @Racing @SkyRacingAU @mmsnippets @inglis_sales https://t.co/B9zU8sklWM
— Yarraman Park Stud (@yarramanpark) June 24, 2019
Yarraman’s Arthur Mitchell commented on the news, noting that I Am Invincible’s speed is another complementary factor in the mating:
”BENSLEY TOLD ME AT LUNCHTIME” – Our man @AndrewBensley informed @yarramanpark Stud’s Arthur Mitchell they had won the race to service @winx_horse #GoWinx with their sire I Am Invincible, and Gary Harley got some brilliant insight into the process LIVE @sconeraceclub today. pic.twitter.com/MsocHQ3jRF
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 24, 2019
The five-cross pedigrees of I Am Invincible and Winx:
As we await the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, we’re more than a year away from the foal’s birth, but it’s never too soon to start playing the name game. What would you call the offspring of Winx and I Am Invincible?
