Star Invincible Filly Wins Group Three Widden

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 3
Bred and offered for sale by Mike and Debbie O'Donnell's Fairhill Farm, two year-old I Am Invincible filly Fiesta gave champion trainer Chris Waller a juvenile stakes double at Rosehill on Saturday when she followed the earlier success of her stablemate Performer in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes to win the Group III ATC Widden Stakes.



An unlucky third on debut in the Listed ATC Gimcrack Stakes last spring and then second in an open two year-old event won by classy colt Legislation, Fiesta was fit and ready to fire at her first run back from a summer break.

Fiesta Sharpened up with two recent trials including a second to boom filly Estijaab, Fiesta (images Steve Hart) showed courage under pressure when she was able to overcome a scuffle at the top of the straight and over-racing in the middle stages to hit the line hard and win for Kerrin McEvoy.

To the great delight of her big team of Star Thoroughbreds owners, Fiesta won by a short neck and has now collected over $117,000 in prizemoney.

"She's certainly bullet-proof," Waller said.

"It was a good effort to see her in a bit of a scrimmage, which is not ideal when you are trying to get out, so fortunately again it opened up on the inside because the horse on her outside wasn't going anywhere.

"It is good to see a young horse under pressure come and still quicken after they have encountered a problem in the race because it might look easy watching at home but I can tell you those mid-race clashes at high speed would be like being hit by a pretty solid object."

Waller was not surprised by the impressive performance and considers the filly a big chance in the Golden Slipper.

"The writing has been on the wall, she was very unlucky in the Gimcrack then she ran second at her second start and went out for a spell and she has come back really, really well.

"There's another fillies race, the Sweet Embrace she'll most likely go there next."

Waller believes the filly now needs to be taught how to relax in blinkers to see her at her best.

"The blinkers might have been a little bit of overkill - she was a bit keen in the middle stages but it made the difference in the finish," he said.

"We'll be working hard at home to make she is more settled in the blinkers."

This time last year Fiesta looked like this!A $150,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Star Thoroughbreds. Chris Waller Racing from the Fairhill Farm draft, Fiesta is the second winner from Now Now, a five time winner by Danehill Dancer (IRE) from the family of stakes-winners Charm Scene Land, Stick Around and Kingsgate.

Now Now has no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a colt by Outreach last spring and was then covered by Golden Slipper winner Capitalist.

Fiesta is the 26th stakes-winner for I Am Invincible, who has 12 entries for Inglis Classic and 41 for Inglis Easter.

Fairhill Farm are bringing another quality draft to the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, click here to see them.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Melbourne Cup Dream Alive for Kiwi Stayers
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav.
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
First Winner for King of Comedy
Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy (IRE) is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday.