Australian spring racing might appear to be the centre of the universe in our neck of the woods, but in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend it is all about the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar in California and an Aussie bred sprinter could be poised to spring an upset.
The Group I Breeders Cup Turf Sprint (5f) was won last year by Zoustar stallion Starlust (GB), who is working through his first book of mares at Riverstone Lodge in the Hunter Valley this spring.
The field of 12 this year includes Australian bred four year-old Shalaa (IRE) stallion Invincible Papa, who has put together an impressive record in Japan and comes to his biggest test to date off an impressive win in the Group III CBS Sho (1200m) at Chukyo back in August.
Trained by Daishi Ito and ridden by Daisuke Sasaki, the speedy four year-old exploded from gate 17 to cross the field and kept up a fierce gallop to hold off his rivals and win by half a length in a blistering 1:07.40 seconds.
A two time stakes-winner, Invincible Papa has the overall record of six wins from eight starts and comes into this fresh and ready to fire with Daisuke Sasaki again taking the ride from an outside barrier.
Bred and sold by Arrowfield Stud, Invincible Papa was a $200,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Japanese based Champions Farm from Arrowfield Stud and is the first stakes-winner among three winners from three to race from Shwaimsa (IRE), a winning half-sister by Canford Cliffs to French Group winners Fractional and Needlecraft, the dam of 2018 Champion Japanese Sprinter and two time Group I winner Fine Needle.
Shwaimsa was on-sold through Inglis Digital in April 2022 for $55,000 to the Vieira Group and has a yearling filly by Trapeze Artist, but no foal this year after missing in 2024.
Invincible Papa’s sire Shalaa is now at Woodside Park in Victoria and stands at a fee of $19,800.
