Daggers (AUS)
Daggers (AUS)
3 c I Am Invincible – Omei Sword by High Chaparral
O: A Kheir, J A O’Neill, S A Lewin, C Schembri, M A Slack-Smith, M Psaltis, Carty Racing, Busuttin Racing, Cunningham Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, A K Racing, J A K Racing & A M & B S Racing
B: Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd
T: Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young
S: 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale V: Arrowfield Stud P: Busuttin Racing Pty Ltd, $260,000
W: Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Maiden Plate, 1300m, August 7, Sandown-Lakeside
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Daggers (I Am Invincible) ran out an impressive winner on debut at Sandown-Lakeside on Wednesday when he streaked clear to land a 1300-metre maiden.
A son of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), the colt was ridden by Luke Currie and sent off a $7 chance in the 13-runner field, making a mockery of those odds as he produced a decisive turn of foot to lead before being kept up to his work to beat Athanatos (I Am Immortal) by 4.3 lengths.
There was a further 1.2 lengths back to Honey Maker (Impending) in third place.
“He’s an impressive looking horse,” Busuttin said. “He was a cheap I Am Invincible, only $260,000 as he was a skinny, narrow horse and then he ballooned sideways.
“We’ve always liked the horse from the very early days, but his jump-outs haven’t been quite as sharp as his trackwork and we were second guessing ourselves, but his last couple of gallops had been very good.
“He can carry on a bit, but he behaved himself pretty well today and behaved where it counted.
“At this time of year there’s always first starters from good stables and you don’t know what you’re up against, but he quickened up nicely.”
Bred by Arrowfield in partnership with GSA Bloodstock, Daggers was purchased from the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $260,000 by Busuttin Racing.
He is the second winner out of the Group 2-winning mare Omei Sword (High Chaparral), herself a daughter of MRC Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock), making him a half-brother to stablemate and dual Group 3 scorer Muramasa (Deep Impact), who also ran fifth in the 2022 Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
Arrowfield sold a Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) yearling colt from Omei Sword at Inglis Easter this year for $875,000 to Rosemont Stud, Chris Waller Racing, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock and the mare is back in foal to Snitzel after missing in 2022.