First Stakes Win for Newly Gelded Garza Blanca

Tara Madgwick - Saturday November 30

The Listed MRC Doveton Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday produced a long overdue Black Type win for talented I Am Invincible five year-old Garza Blanca, who was gelded prior  to his current preparation.

Garza Blanca wins his first stakes race - image Scott Barbour / Race Photos

Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Craig Williams, Garza Blanca has always shown good ability and produced a career best performance to win by half a length at his second run back from a spell.

The heavy track might have raised a potential issue, but Garza Blanca got the desired result.

"There was a little bit of concern, the surface is probably not ideal for him, but I thought the horse was very right,” said Ciaron Maher.

"He's a horse with a lot of ability and it was a great ride by Craig. It was a little bit of a nervous watch there towards the end but very good (result).

"He's had a few little issues, he's been gelded, but I actually got a bit nervous when I saw the heavy hitters were here - Neil (Werrett) and Gerry (Ryan) - they all turned up and I thought, 'gee, we better make sure we've got everything right here'.

"I think he will go right on with it now, he's a pretty good horse."

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Garza Blanca had plenty of owners to celebrate his win - image Scott Barbour / Race Photos

A $700,000 Magic Millions purchase from Vinery Stud for International Thoroughbred Solutions, Garza Blanca has a big syndicate of owners that includes his breeders and has the overall record of four wins and five seconds from 15 starts with prizemoney topping $426,000.

Garza Blanca is a half-brother to stakes-placed Easy Dun and is the best of two winners from Mousai, a winning half-sister to champion sprinter and G1 sire Starspangledbanner and three-quarter sister-in-blood to Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winner Amicus, the dam of Group winners Okita Soushi and Chief Little Rock.

Mousai has a yearling filly by I Am Invincible and after having a year off in 2023 has been covered this spring by Ole Kirk.

Garza Blanca is the 111th stakes-winner for Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible.

It's a prolific Black Type family and there are 10 yearlings entered for upcoming sales that have Garza Blanca in their pedigree.

Click to see the page with links. 

Visit the profile page for I Am Invincible

I Am Invincible in upcoming sales:
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Race Result - Premier Signs Doveton Stakes LR 1200m

Caulfield Track: Soft(7) Time: 1:12.02
1
Garza Blanca
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Mousai (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Craig Williams 54
I Am Invincible
2
0.5
It'sourtime
- 7g Time For War (AUS) x Zedoble (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: Damian Lane 56.5
3
6.5
I Am Unstoppable
- 4h I Am Invincible (AUS) x Satin Slipper (AUS) (Pierro (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: M Zahra 58
I Am Invincible
4
6.6
Poland
- 7g So You Think (NZ) x Sun Song (AUS) (Desert Sun (GB))
Tnr: Gavin Bedggood Rdr: Beau Mertens 54
5
7
British Columbia
- 6g Vancouver (AUS) x Blowin In The Wind (IRE) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: H Coffey 54
6
11
Cottee
- 5m Merchant Navy (AUS) x Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini (USA))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Ms L J Meech 54
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