There is plenty of evidence to suggest that if a mare is going to produce a stakes-winner, she’s going to do it within the first four foals she delivers, but there are always exceptions to every rule and we saw a high profile one last Saturday.
When I Am Invincible filly My Gladiola walked into the mounting yard for the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview last Saturday, she looked the goods, big, strong and mentally ready for the task at hand.
But for a pedigree watcher such as myself there was a niggling doubt.
She is the seventh foal of brilliant sprinter Villa Verde, whose previous six foals had all raced, four of them winning, but none had gone close to getting Black Type. They are all by proven champion sires and two of them by My Gladiola’s sire I Am Invincible and they sold for $575,000 (filly) and $1million (colt), both making more than the $550,000 she sold for at Inglis Easter last year.
My Gladiola comes out and for whatever reason the genetics have clicked into place to produce an exciting stakes-winner at the third attempt with I Am Invincible.
The first time the mating between I Am Invincible and Villa Verde was tried it produced a filly Invencible, who showed ability at the Sydney trials, but only raced once when she bled and was then barred from racing due to bleeding twice.
The second mating produced the colt Blue Special, who was slow, but after being gelding ended up winning a couple of races at 1600 and 1800m from 25 starts.
My Gladiola is now favourite for the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes and there will be a lot of breeders that hold a piece of this family who will be cheering her on to success.
