Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday December 1

Coming off a chart-topping month with 38 winners, I Am Invincible will be out to start the new month by claiming an honour that has so far eluded him this season, a Group 1 winner.

Unless you have a horse the calibre of a Winx, the decision to keep a mare in training once she reaches five requires plenty of thought, particularly if she is a well-bred stakes-winner.

Connections of Viddora obviously believe the daughter of I Am Invincible has some unfinished business.

Advertisement

She has a Group III win and Listed stakes win in South Australia to her credit but that seems scant reward for a mare that was inched out by She Will Reign in the Moir Stakes (1000m) and finished second to Secret Agenda in the Group 1 UBET Classic (Robert Sangster Stakes).

She was also a leading chance in the Group 1 Goodwood Hcp at Morphettville but came up with a foot abscess shortly before the race.


The Lloyd Kennewell-trained mare heads to Ascot on Saturday with a favourites chance in the $1 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m).

She is coming off a fourth behind Hey Doc in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 27.

Bred by Riva Ridge, Viddora has a record of 6 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third from 22 starts with prizemoney of $858,480

A $40,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase for her trainer in 2014, Viddora is the second foal of the 5-time Melbourne winner Snow Flight, a daughter of the Zabeel stallion Colombia, a brother to Octagonal and Mouawad.

Zabeel is out of the Nureyev mare Lady Giselle whose dam Valderna is out of the outstanding broodmare Derna who is the great- great- granddam of Snow Flight.

Derna produced the top fillies Detroit (Arc de Triomphe) and Durtal (Cheveley Park Stakes and 2nd 1000 Guineas).

A daughter of Riverman, Detroit produced the 1994 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie (IRE) while Durtal (Lyphard) is the dam of dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Gildoran (Rheingold) who, like Carnegie, found his way to stud in Australia.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Magic Millions First Digital Sale - Opportunities Aplenty
Bidding is now open for the first Magic Millions Digital Sale with opportunities across all levels of the market for prospective buyers.
Winning Return for Blueblood I Am Invincible Filly
Last seen finishing an unlucky fourth in the $1million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in May, speedy I Am Invincible filly Sisstainable returned from a spell at Moonee Valley on Friday night to score a tenacious win.
Melbourne Cup Next for UK Raider Onesmoothoperator
Winner of the Group III Geelong Cup last year at his first Australian appearance, UK trained stayer Onesmoothoperator (USA) had not won a race since then but was back in the winning groove last night take out the $750,000 Group II MVRC Moonee Valley Cup (2500m).
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
The Rosehill trials on Friday morning featured a couple of juvenile heats and both winners came out of the Widden Stud draft at Magic Millions with one topping the sale at $2.8million and the other selling for a modest $150,000.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
NZB Breeze Up Footage Now Available to View Online
The highly anticipated Breeze Up videos for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale are now available to view online at nzb.co.nz.