Bennett Racing appear to have another potential topline colt in their ownership as I Am Invincible colt Jimmy Recard records his third consecutive win, taking out the $200,000 Group 3 MRC Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Won by a host of future Group 1 winners in the past including Cylinder, Giga Kick, Bivouac, Russian Revolution and Sepoy, the Vain Stakes is a solid spring carnival kick off point for potential stallion prospects looking to further cement their future careers.
A winner at Gosford back in June before successs at Flemington in early July, Jimmy Recard produced a lovely effort in a recent Cranbourne jumpout before his resumption on Saturday in his first black type race.
Jumping the punters elect from the inside barrier, the Ciaron Maher trained colt was given time to find his feet by Jamie Melham, settling in fifth position on the inside of Group 1 Blue Diamond third placegetter Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon).
Scratched from the Listed Rosebud in Sydney, the Allan Kehoe trained Shaggy (Sandbar) took up the running with the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Shinning Smile (Spirt Of Boom), who was chasing six straight wins, settling on the outside of the leader.
As the leaders started to show signs of tiring, Tycoon Star pulled off their heels to make a run, charging to the lead before drifting back towards the inside where Jimmy Recard had come along the rails to challenge.
With Tycoon Star slightly running out of puff late, Melham drove Jimmy Recard to the lead, winning by a quarter of a length from Tycoon Star with the Gerrard Maloney trained race outsider Express Class (Exceedance) coming home well to take third.
With Maher excited by the way Jimmy Recard continues to step up, there could be Group 1 races ahead for the colt with the likes of either the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) if he shows he can run the trip, or the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
"I think he's improving every time he runs," Maher said.
"We had notions of taking him to a Stakes race in Adelaide and then resetting for the spring, but we squashed that idea and he's started the spring the right way.
"He's a very well-bred colt, a great type, and he's got a bright future."
Melham, who had ridden the colt last start noted his improvement.
"I know this horse has got talent and he's really impressed me in his work and his trials, but I was concerned the penny had not really dropped with him yet," Melham said.
"When he got that bump at the 200 (metres), I thought he would put the white flag up, but he didn't and dug deep.
"He's really grown and matured, and the penny has dropped with him now.
"He's got some big wins in store."
A graduate of Yarraman Park’s Magic Millions yearling sale draft when secured by Bennett Racing Pty Ltd and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $350,000, Saturday’s victory took Jimmy Recard’s record to three wins from four starts and $234,775 in earnings.
Bred by Gall Bloodstock, Jimmy Recard is the second winner, and first at stakes level out of the Group 3 placed Alamosa mare Aquamosa (NZ), who comes from an international black type pedigree which includes Big Maverick (O’Reilly), the Champion 3YO Sprinter in Singapore in 2008 & Champion Older Stayer in Singapore in 2009 & 2010.
Aquamosa has since produced fillies by I Am Invincible and Hellbent, and is due to foal this season to Hellbent once again, with the resultant foal being a three-quarter relation to Jimmy Recard.
With his Vain Stakes victory, Jimmy Recard became the 121st stakes winner for Yarraman Park’s three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible who is standing this season at a fee of $220,000 (inc. GST).
