For the third year in a row champion sire I Am Invincible produced the winner of the of the $1 million Howden Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) with the Tony Gollan trained gelding Zarastro following in the footsteps of King of Sparta, who won in 2023 and 2024.
Tony Gollan’s domination of this race continued at the Gold Coast on Friday night when Zarastro made all from the front to give the champion Queensland trainer his fourth win in the race.
Zarastro powered clear to win by more than two lengths over the Waterhouse Bott runner The Novelist.
Zarastro joined Gollan pin-up horses Isotope (2022), Jonker (2021) and Temple of Boom (2011) on the honour roll for the coveted sprint.
Originally a $1.05 million purchase by Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster out of the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the blueblood gelding joined Gollan’s stable as a tried horse after being purchased through Inglis Digital for $32,500 in 2022.
Already a Group III winner and multiple stakes-winner, Zarastro has the overall record of nine wins with his prizemoney earnings soaring beyond $1.3 million.
Gollan said the six-year-old peaked on the night and was a beneficiary of the races being delayed by six days as he would’ve likely struggled on a rain-affected track.
“We’ve had a good bit of luck in the race,” Gollan said.
“The first few years it wasn’t worth as much money but it’s worth a lovely amount now.
“He’s been a fantastic horse since he joined the stable and I had a real sense that he was starting to peak in his preparation.
“Today he was bag on and he got a track that was favourable.
“I was never worried they were going to run him down.
“He’s a high quality sprinter.”
The two length win over The Novelist and Semana came courtesy of a positive ride from young gun jockey Angela Jones, who thanked Gollan and connections for maintaining the faith in her.
“It’s so great to be here again and to do it on this horse is just great,” Jones said.
“I love his owners, they’re so supportive, as is Tony and they were happy to keep me on.
“He quickened up in the straight and I was that confident but I wasn’t that confident n the run because he normally tugs a little bit more when he’s on.
“But when we straightened up I felt how much he had left.”
Earlier in the night, the Gollan-trained I Am Invincible filly High Barbie ran sixth, beaten three lengths, in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Gollan was involved in 14 purchase during last week’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, including seven yearlings by his former stable star Spirit of Boom.
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds and consigned by Segenhoe Stud, Zarastro is the first living foal and best of two winners from Zabeel’s speedy Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes winner Adrift, a half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Entriviere.
Adrift produced a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly last spring and was then covered by Tassort.
I Am Invincible also had place-getters in two more of the feature races with Arriving Home finishing third in the $3million 3YO Guineas and Charm Stone was second in the $2million Magic Millions Cup and as a result he has surged into third place on the Australian General Sires List by earnings.
