Group winner I Am Immortal to stand at Swettenham Stud
I Am Invincible’s (Invincible Spirit) only dual stakes-winning juvenile I Am Immortal will stand at Swettenham Stud later this year, but not before the Anthony Freedman-trained colt embarks on a Group 1 autumn mission aimed at enhancing his record.
The three-year-old returned from a spell with a first-up second in last week’s W J Adams Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Caulfield as a precursor to the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) later this month.
Swettenham Stud principal Adam Sangster last night confirmed the deal to buy the Dream Thoroughbreds-syndicated I Am Immortal to complement the farm’s diverse stallion roster in 2020.
“On type, I Am Immortal is 16.1hh, he has got a beautiful head on him, he has a lovely walk and if you were to draw the ideal stallion to look at, he is exactly in that mould,” Sangster said.
“He is similar to Toronado where you look at him and think, ‘geez, he is a good–looking horse’. You just can’t fault him.
“From our roster, we’ve got a son of High Chaparral (Toronado), a son of Galileo (Highland Reel) and a son of Shamardal (Puissance De Lune).
“We’ve got all those major sirelines except for Invincible Spirit, that is the only one we were missing.
“I Am Immortal has colonial two-year-old speed and I couldn’t think of a better horse in Australia at the moment who has that.”
I Am Immortal immediately demonstrated his talent at two by winning last year’s Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (Listed, 1000m) and Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (Gr 3, 1100m) at his first two starts, and Freedman believes the colt is deserving of a home at stud.
“I Am Immortal was a very fast, precocious two-year-old (who is) easily one of the fastest horses I have trained,” Freedman said.
“He’s an imposing, attractive colt, very much in the mould of his sire I Am Invincible, and he races in a similar manner. I believe with all his attributes he is an exciting stallion prospect.”
I Am Immortal could head to The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) at Rosehill next month providing he runs well in the Oakleigh Plate on February 22.
Sangster believes I Am Immortal will offer breeders the ideal Danehill (Danzig) outcross stallion option.
“There were a few people looking at him as a stallion prospect themselves, so there won’t be too many people who aren’t interested in the horse,” he said.
“He has racing upside, he has pedigree being out of the best-performed Ad Valorem mare ever (Meliora), a Group 2 winner that Peter Moody trained. She was speed on speed, he was an early two-year-old with speed, and he is a nice type. There is a lot going for him.”
I Am Invincible has seven sire sons at stud in Australia, including Group 1 winners Brazen Beau and Hellbent, as well as the multiple stakes-winning trio of Super One, Santos and Overshare.
Dream Thoroughbreds’ David Azzopardi was delighted to strike a partnership with Swettenham Stud.
“The opportunity to stand I Am Immortal with one of Victoria’s most successful farms in Swettenham Stud is fantastic and I believe he will be the ideal Super VOBIS stallion – sure to get early two-year-olds that train on at three and four,” he said.
I Am Immortal, a $200,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduate, is out of the Angus Armanasco Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m)-winning mare Meliora (Ad Valorem), who was also successful as a two-year-old. She is also a half-sister to the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained dual stakes-winning sprinter Whypeeo (I Am Invincible).
I Am Immortal’s two-year-old half-sister Melisende (Hinchinbrook) ran third on debut for Freedman last month, while his brother was bought by Japan’s Katsumi Yoshida for $650,000 at last month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A service fee for I Am Immortal has not yet been determined.