New Year’s Day racing saw Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible become the first stallion to hit 100 Australian winners for the season with a treble of winners highlighted by a new stakes-winner in Salateen.
The Listed Nudgee Stakes (1200m) at Doomben was robbed of a lot of interest with the scratching of Tony Gollan’s star mare Isotope due to the heavy track. But it paved the way for the champion trainer to strike with Rosemont Stud’s valuable I Am Invincible mare Salateen.
With Jim Byne in the saddle, Salateen overpowered the Bel Esprit mare Kisukano by with the Fastnet Rock mare Nudge back in third.
A winner at Kembla and Gosford for the Snowdens, Salateen has three wins, a second and third from five starts for Tony Gollan.
Foll
owing a last start win at Doomben, Salateen was entered for both the Nudgee Stakes and a benchmark 78, but Gollan was keen to get a run in the stakes race.
“She has been terrific since coming to Queensland,” Gollan said.
“The only blot on her copybook was at Eagle Farm.
"I have been trying to run her in a stakes race all summer. I said to Mitho and the team at Rosemont that this is the level she is at. I couldn’t get her in a field for other reasons including her rating was too low. We managed to sneak in today, but when the rains came we were very nervous on a heavy track.
“She gets a wildcard for Magic Millions day, and she is a very able mare that we are pleased to have in the stable.”
A $300,000 purchase for Rosemont Stud from the Emiartes Park draft a the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Salateen received a timely pedigree update when her half-brother Hilal was runner-up in the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes and Group 1 Champagne Stakes. The son of Fastnet Rock later captured the Group II Stan Fox Stakes.
Another half-brother Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch), is a stakes-winner in South Africa.
Salateen’s dam Salma (Encosta De Lago) is an unraced half-sister to the Listed Dulcify stakes winner Big Time (Danewin).
Salma has a 2yo Fastnet Rock filly named Salaasel in training with the Snowdens and a yearling filly by Not A Single Doubt.
After foaling a Tassort filly last spring, Salma was covered by Snitzel.
Salateen becomes the 72nd stakes-winner for Yarraman Park Stud’s I Am Invincible.
