Nicks That Click- Two of the Best Combine

The Group I success of Invincibella in the Tatts Tiara last Saturday added to a growing list of stakes-winners bred on a nick involving two of Ireland's best sires.

Invincibella is by champion Australian sire I Am Invincible (a son of the Irish National Stud's remarkable sire Invincible Spirit) from a daughter of the world's best active sire in Coolmore's Galileo.

The nick between Invincible Spirit, who has a burgeoning dynasty of sire sons on the rise in both hemispheres, and Galileo is clearly on the up and has enjoyed notable success this year with Group I winner Invincibella in Australia and Group I Two Thousand Guineas winner Magna Grecia in the UK.

So far there have been 12 stakes-winners bred this way from 172 runners, which equates to 61.6% winners to runners and 6.9% stakes-winners to runners.

Another recent stakes-winner for the nick is Royal Ascot two year-old winner Southern Hills, who is from the first crop of Galileo's champion son Gleneagles from a daughter of Invincible Spirit.

Given the liking Galileo has shown for mares with speed, it makes sense that I Am Invincible mares in particular would make good partners for the few Galileo sire sons available to Australian breeders this spring in Churchill (IRE), Highland Reel (IRE) and Adelaide (IRE), who is the sire of exciting two year-old filly Funstar, an impressive winner at Randwick last Saturday.