There are two fascinating divisions of the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday and, if nothing else, it highlights the depth I Am Invincible has among this crop of juveniles.
Already with four stakes-winning two-year-olds, the Yarraman Park super-sire has two runners making their career debuts in the colts and gelding division while he has no less than four acceptors for the fillies division, which includes the potentially top-class Sydney filly Catch Me who carries a 2kg penalty after a hugely impressive debut in the Group III Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick last October.
The filly’s division rated a Group III compared to the Listed status of colts and geldings, shapes as the strongest on paper.
So will look to the colts and geldings where Exceed And Excel’s Microphone has come up a lukewarm $4 favourite following his debut win at Flemington over the Brazen Beau filly Pretty Brazen who is a leading chance in the fillies race.
The two I Am Invincible first starters are the Anthony Freedman-trained I Am Immortal has come under strong pre-post betting and the Darren Weir-trained Hulk who is also being kept very safe in the market.
They also represent different corners of the bloodstock sales market with I Am Immortal coming out of the Yarraman Park draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale while Hulk is also a Yarraman Park product this time at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Significantly, Yarraman has kept an interest in both colts.
Purchased by Anthony Freedman Racing / Dream Thoroughbreds for $200,000, I Am Immortal is a three-quarter brother to the slick Whypeeo out of the Group II MRC Angus Armansco Stakes winner Melora Ad Valorem.
Hulk (pictured as a yearling) came at a cost of $260,000 by his trainer and he is a full-brother to the enormously talented and sometimes frustrating Hellbent.
Yarraman Park launched the stud career of the Group 1 MVRC William Reid Stakes winner last spring and must have been bowled over with the reception he received.
Hellbent covered 186 mares at a fee of $27,500.
Hellbent and Hulk are out of the talented racemare Volkaspray a daughter of Volksraad (GB) who like I Am Invincible’s sire Invincible Spirit, is a son of Green Desert.
Volkaspray comes from a very solid family that traces back to the Matrice mare Miss Pompilia who is a full-sister to Pago Pago.
The winner of nine of his 10 starts at two, including the1963 Golden Slipper, Pago Pago has an amazing story to tell.
He was sold to race in America but did a tendon and took up residence at the famous Claiborne Farm in Kentucky.
He proved to be a more than useful stallion siring the outstanding Island Whirl and the Canadian Horse Of The Year Jumpin’ Joseph who stood with some success at Roseneath Stud.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the Pago Pago story came when at the age of 19 in 1979 in he was repatriated to stand at Robert Holmes a Court’s Heytesbury Stud in Western Australia.
There was a deal of sniggering at the time but Pago Pago defied all odds by becoming a huge success.
The top-class Pride Of Kellina came from his first crop, the Group II Peter Pan Stakes winner Black Ivory from his second and the Group 1 VATC Marlboro Cup winner Western Pago from his third.
Despite not covering any more than 40 mares a season, Pago Pago sired at least 20 stakes winners in Australia.
He was still active in 1987 before dying two year’s later at the age of 29.
