Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday November 2

I Am Invincible and So You Think have broken clear of the pack in the race for champion sire, and both have some serious firepower in the features at Flemington and Rosehill on Saturday.

Despite having the favourite Think About It in the $3,000,000 Giga Kick Stakes at Rosehill, So You Think would do well not to fall further behind I Am Invincible, who will be represented by Hawaii Five Oh in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill and a host of chances on Derby Day at Flemington.   

King's Gambit, Tiz Invincible, I Am Unstoppable, form a powerful 3-prong attack on the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, Shuffle Dancer in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes, Jack the Lad in the Group II Damien Oliver, Garza Blanca in the Group III Rising Fast Stakes, Henman in the Group III Carbine Club Stakes, and Queen Of The Ball and Dancing Alone in the Group III Furphy Sprint (Begonia Belle Stakes).

Queen Of The Ball (image Steve Hart)

While Queen Of The Ball has not won in over a year, Dancing Alone has forgotten how to lose, winning six of her seven starts and was luckless in her only defeat.

Queen Of The Ball has not won in seven starts since capturing the Group III Scarborough Stakes at Moonee Valley in September last year.

The Michael Freedman-trained 4-year-old faces several more obstacles besides her winning drought. The triple Group III winner carries a stakes penalty and has drawn the outside barrier. We will let Damien Oliver sought that one out.

The winner of the Group III ATC Widden Stakes and Group III CRC Black Opal Stakes at two, Queen Of The Ball, has been racing in the silk department all her life, with 13 of her 14 starts coming in Group races.

A homebred for Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock, Queen of the Ball is the first foal from stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mare Miss Debutante, who Sir Owen purchased for $430,000 through Paul Moroney Bloodstock when consigned by Kia Ora Stud to the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Queen Of The Ball - Scarborough Stakes (image Grant Courtney)

She won four of her eight starts for Gai Waterhouse, highlighted by a dominant performance in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone, defeating Snitty Kitty, Smart Amelia, and Eckstein.

So it was no surprise when Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds headed to the Gold Coast to purchase Miss Debutante's second foal, a Zoustar filly from the Newgate Farm draft for $600,000.

Advertisement

Named Platinum Jubilee, she was off to a rollicking start, winning the Gimcrack Stakes and finishing second in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic and Group II Silver Slipper Stakes. Like her big sister, things came a bit harder at three.

It would hopefully be three times a charm when Miss Debutante's third foal, Lady Of Camelot, took her place in the Group III Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick on September 30.

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained daughter of Written Tycoon finished a luckless fourth and was spelled.

Miss Debutante foaled her first colt last spring, a son of Flying Artie, before making the trek back to Yarraman Park for a second visit to I Am Invincible.

Miss Debutante is a daughter of the imported Group II winning More Than Ready (USA) mare More Than Real (USA), who Todd Pletcher trained for celebrity chef Bobby Flay. She won the Grade II Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf two years before it was elevated to a Grade 1.

More Than Real (USA) was a US$675,000 purchase for James Bester at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She has proved to be a sound investment for Kia Ora with her Exceed And Excel filly Pretty Elsa selling for $1,200,00 at the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

More Than Real (USA) is a sister to Miss Always Ready, the dam of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor (Palace Malice), and Always Carina (Malibu Moon), who was runner-up in the Grade II Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont.

More Than Real and Miss Always Ready are daughters of the crack Dehere (USA) mare Miss Steffens, whose eleven wins included five stakes.

More Than  Real is still going strong, with a yearling filly by Farnan and revisited the Golden Slipper winner last season. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Queen of The Ball Wins G3 Scarborough Stakes
A two-time Group winner last season at two, quality I Am Invincible filly Queen of the Ball franked the strong form of the recent Group III ATC Silver Shadow Stakes when scoring a sizzling front running victory in the Group III MVRC Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Queen of the Ball Conquers in G3 Furphy Sprint
A multiple Group winner coming to Flemington on Saturday, talented I Am Invincible mare Queen of the Ball had superior form lines coming into the $200,000 Group III VRC Furphy Sprint (1100m) and showed her class to win by a length under Damien Oliver.
Front Runner Lindermann Wins Chelmsford Stakes
Capitalising on his outstanding second up form, Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning Lonhro gelding Lindermann held on to win the Group 2 ATC Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Barnstorming Performance As Baraqiel Wins G1 Moir Stakes
Off the back of his impressive last start Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes victory at the same track, Snitzel gelding Baraqiel had everyone talking, and rightfully so, as he justified the faith of his trainers, charging late to win the $750,000 Group 1 MVRC Moir Stakes (1000m) in the Bennett Racing silks.
Sires With Winners - Saturday September 6
Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Queen of the Ball Wins Black Opal
A homebred for Sir Owen Glenn, that was raised at Newgate Farm as is Saturday’s Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes winner Rise of the Masses, talented I Am Invincible filly Queen Of The Ball now sits in seventh spot on the Order of Entry for the Golden Slipper after winning the Group III Canberra Black Opal Stakes (1200m) on Sunday.
Extremely Good Filly Wins G2 Furious for Myracehorse
There has always been a big boom on Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic following her flashing second on debut last December and we finally saw her back at the races at Randwick on Saturday and it proved well worth the wait!
Concorde Stakes Success For Headwall
With the first two across the line highlighting their claims for an Everest slot, Matthew Smith’s Headwall (Dream Ahead) came with a well-timed run in the $1m Group 3 ATC Concorde Stakes (1000m) to deny the unlucky Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel).
Alpha Sofie Wins Listed Atlantic Jewel
A decision to transfer talented Capitalist  filly Alpha Sofie from the Queensland stable of Jason Edwards to Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman in Victoria paid immediate dividends at Moonee Valley on Saturday when she charged home to win the $175,000 Listed MRC Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m).
$750,000 Deep Field Colt a SW on Debut
Nearly all of the good colts and geldings by now pensioned sire Deep Field find their way to Hong Kong, but astute trainer Clinton McDonald was determined to keep Rosberg paying $750,000 for the colt at the Inglis Ready 2Race Sale last year and he was rewarded at Moonee Valley on Saturday.