Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) has the unbeaten favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday in Storm Boy and his colt from Invincible Star lit up the sale ring at Magic Millions on Friday when selling for $1.3million to Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Consigned by Coolmore on behalf of Morning Rise Stud, the colt is the first foal of brilliant I Am Invincible mare Invincible Star, a multiple Group III winner that was also second in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Invincible Star was bought from Magic Million for $200,000 back in 2016 by Gai Waterhouse and she and Adrian will look forward to training her first foal and have expectation he could well be in the mould of a Storm Boy who they also train.
“We know mum very well and we’re starting to get to know a little bit about the progeny of dad as well with Storm Boy obviously going into the Magic Millions, said Adrian Bott.
“This colt seemed to have the profile that we were looking to going for into the sale.
“Invincible Star was such a sharp horse, we had her and she won first time out of asking up the straight at Flemington – she was so quick – and we had her lined up for an Everest at one point and she just went down a nose in the Coolmore.
“She was the fastest filly of her generation and we’ve seen what Justify is starting to do down here, so it seemed a nice mix and he was a nice physical.”
Waterhouse and Bott secured Storm Boy from the Coolmore draft at last year’s sale for $460,000, but had to go considerably higher for this colt.
“Invincible Star had an incredible race record, the colt is off a great farm and the fact we’re enjoying some success with the stallion, it just gives you a lot more confidence to go into those type of horses,” Bott said.
“Justify is doing a phenomenal job worldwide, in America, Europe, and we’re starting to see that success down here in Australia.
“It helps you be confident and go in strong on those horses.”
Invincible Star was purchased as a broodmare prospect at the Magic Millions National Sale in 2019 for $1.45million by Tom Magnier/ James Bester Bloodstock, but had a tricky start to her stud career losing her first foal, a colt by Justify, and then missing to the same stallion the following year before finally producing the $1.3million colt on the third attempt.
Invincible Star produced a filly last spring by So You Think and is now back in foal to Justify.
