The highest priced filly at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, I Am Invincible filly Charm Stone made a winning seasonal return when taking out the Group III MRC Quezette Stakes (1100m at Caulfield on Saturday beating the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Skirt the Law.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr trained filly won the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes last spring at her second start before a wind issue ruled her out of the autumn after a sixth placing in the Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude.
Connections were confident leading into this assignment that she was back to her best and Charm Stone was sent out favourite with Damian Lane to ride. He allowed the filly to settle back in the field and she charged to the line to score a head win over Skirt the Law, who also ran a great race at her first run back from a spell.
"She's really grown into her frame mentally," said Lane, who won the Ottawa Stakes on her last spring.
"She was always a lovely filly from day dot and she's starting to come together now.
"It's not easy to do what she did.
"I had to put the jets on from the 500 (metres) and her closing speed between the 500 (metres) and the 100 (metres) was brilliant and to then be able to sustain that when she got challenged was really good.
"I think she is something special this horse and I think she can win a good race this prep."
Charm Stone has lofty ambitions for this campaign with the Group I ATC Golden Rose and VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes mentioned as target races.
"She's a lot cooler, calmer and she's in for a big preparation. We want to win a Group 1," Kent Jnr said.
"For fillies in the spring there's lots of smaller stakes race options, but the big ones are the Golden Rose or the Coolmore.
"The Coolmore is a long way away, so we'll talk to Damian, talk to Mick and see, but I think her best trip is 1200 metres.
"Could she stretch to 1400 metres on an In Secret preparation, it (Golden Rose) might end up a nice race for her."
Bred and consigned by Emirates Park to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Charm Stone was the top-priced filly and third top overall when Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) had the final say at $1.55 million.
Charm Stone has had two wins from four starts earning over $265,000 and is a sister to stakes-winner Najmaty from hugely talented Northern Meteor mare Najoom who won five races highlighted by a pair of Group III victories from just seven starts. She comes from the family of Group I winners Criterion, Comin’ Through and numerous stakes-winners.
Najoom has a yearling filly by Capitalist and is due to foal again for Emirates Park to I Am Invincible. Her two year-old fily by Tassort has been retained by Emirates and named Manaajem with Peter and Paul Snowden to train.
Charm Stone is the third stakes-winner of the new season for Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible.
