40 2YO Winners for Kodiac

The Northern Hemisphere racing season in Europe is fascinating for all sorts of reasons, but one of them is the rise of Kodiac and his quest for a record number of two year-old winners.

A winning double overnight of first time winners in Odyssa and Pulitzer has brought Kodiac to 40 two year-old winners from his 2015 foal crop, 97 of which have raced.

His 40 winners are headed by stakes-winners Madeline, Brother Bear and Izzy Bizu as well as four other Black Type performers.

A three-quarter brother by Danehill to champion sire Invincible Spirit, stakes-placed Kodiac is being tipped as a great chance to chase down his own European record for two year-old winners of 43 set in 2014.

He set that record at the expense of his sibling Invincible Spirit, who held the previous record of 42 set in 2010.

The precocity of this Invincible Spirit bloodline has been demonstrated admirably in Australia through his superstar Aussie bred son I Am Invincible, who sired 29 two year-old winners last season and was second to only Snitzel in that department.

Standing at Tally Ho Stud at a fee of 50,000 euros, Kodiac is a sire on the up and may well have a shot at the world record for two year-old winners which is held by Japanese legend Sunday Silence, who set the mark in 2004 with 51 winners.

It's a lofty goal that might not be out of reach given he has a crop of 189 foals running for him.

Australian breeders seeking to tap into the Invincible Spirit bloodline this spring are spoiled for choice and the options include Coolmore's dual Group I winner Pride of Dubai, who is closely related to Invincible Spirit through his female family.

By Street Cry (IRE), Pride of Dubai stands at a fee of $4,000 and is from Al Anood, a half-sister to the dam of Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

For sire sons of Invincible Spirit there are several choices to look at.

Of course there is I Am Invincible, who is fully booked at a fee of $110,000 at Yarraman Park, but outside of him come a wide range of options.

There are his sires sons, horse such as Brazen Beau (Darley $44,000) and Super One (Newgate $11,000), as well as four new sons of Invincible Spirit to shuttle into Australia along with the previously mentioned Zebedee.

Arrowfield Stud will stand Shalaa (IRE) at a fee of $33,000, Darley have Territories at $22,000, Woodside Park have Cable Bay (IRE) at $19,800 and Chatswood Stud will stand Ajaya (GB) at $13,200.

The rise of the Green Desert sireline is breathing new life into the Danzig sire dynasty, which has dominated Australian racing since the arrival of Danehill in 1990.