Improving off his debut third, the Tom Smith trained Barbarian King became the first winner for his stakes-winning I Am Invincible sire when the son of Barbaric delivered the goods at Rockhampton on Thursday.
Sent out the dominant favourite in the field of four, jockey Cody Collis jumped Barbarian King away swiftly from the outside barrier, going forward to sit in second behind Craiglea Monnie who took up the running.
With the order unchanged for the majority of the race, the field of four turned for home where Collis came up alongside the leader with the pair racing eye to up for much of the straight before Barbarian King starting to get the upper hand.
Racing slightly greenly, Barbarian King drifted off the track slightly and although Craiglea Monnie came again along the rail, the son of Barbaric held a narrow winning margin when the line was reached.
Barbarian King is just the fourth individual runner to date by the G3 Black Opal Stakes winner Barbaric, himself a son of I Am Invincible out of the G2 MRC Tristarc Stakes winner Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart), joining the debut runner-up Bowdene.
Purchased for $900,000 as a yearling from the Segenhoe draft at the 2019 Magic Millions yearling sale by the China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock and WinStar Farm, Barbaric was always held in high regard by his connections with Newgate’s Managing Director Henry Field stating, “I strongly believe Barbaric was the standout yearling at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale of his year.”
Bred and co-raced by Mr G Milner, Barbarian King is the first runner, and winner out of the Carrara mare Aleysa's Queen, who after a not being covered the following season, produced a full brother to Barbarian King in September.
Having covered over 200 mares in his first four seasons at stud, Barbaric stood the recent season at a fee of $6,600 (inc. GST) alongside G1 producing sire Better Than Ready (More Than Ready) at the Kruger’s Lyndhurst Stud.
