Five year-old I Am Invincible gelding Lombardo is a very good sprinter on his day and particularly in Adelaide where he made it five wins from five starts when taking out the $500,000 Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
From the in-form Mick Price and Mick Kent Jr stable, Lombardo finished his spring campaign with a fifth in the Group I MVRC Manikato Stakes and had been racing well in his current preparation albeit in races well short of Group I class.
Ridden by Zac Spain, Lombardo overcame an outside gate to press forward and lead all the way to win by more than a length over Halvorsen and The Astrologist.
Price saddled race favourite Extreme Warrior, who beat only one runner home, and also Lombardo who was sent to the post at 16-1.
“No (I didn’t think I could win a Group 1 with him) but he deserved his chance. When your rating goes up you’ve got to keep climbing the ladder,” Price said.
“I don’t know (what it is about Adelaide), he just might be adrenalised by a trip away.
“I had to saddle him up and it was like saddling up a big bear. He stood on me, shat on me, he was just booming and ready to go.
“I said to Zac ‘don’t be worried about what goes on in this race, back yourself, back your horse and ride your own race. I don’t want to talk to you about tactics, just ride your own horse’.”
A $300,000 Inglis Premier purchase for M G Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd / Aquis Farm from the draft of Burnewang North, Lombardo runs for a syndicate that includes his breeder Cathy Hains in whose colours he runs.
Lombardo has won eight of 16 starts earning over $717,000 in prizemoney and no doubt has more wins in store.
Lombardo is a half-brother to stakes-placed Resistant and is the best of seven winners from stakes-placed Encosta de Lago mare Swinging Babe, who is now retired from stud duties.
Lombardo is the 13th Group I winner for I Am Invincible and is this fourth this season joining Royal Ascot bound Home Affairs, Marabi and New Zealand trained Imperatriz.
His victory has propelled I Am Invincible back to the top of the Australian Sires List by earnings giving him a narrow margin over So You Think.
