Invincible Woman showcases Magic Millions Classic quality
Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans unearthed a genuine contender for January’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) on Saturday when talented filly Invincible Woman (I Am Invincible) put on a dominant display to win the Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic (1100m) on debut on the Caulfield Heath track.
After two impressive Cranbourne jump-out wins the filly started the $3.90 second favourite in the $250,000 feature and she did not let her supporters down, letting down impressively under star rider Damian Lane to defeat Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin’s Zouclaire (Zousain) by 2.75 lengths eased down, with the Lindsay Park-trained Bacash (Cosmic Force) a further 1.25 lengths way in third.
The first buy as a training partnership for Kennewell and Yeomans, Invincible Woman was purchased for $250,000 with Mathew Becker’s Group 1 Bloodstock and Lizzie Jelfs’ Syndicate ‘Race With Lizzie’ from Widden Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, where she was originally passed in but quickly sold to her trainers after leaving the ring.
“She was actually passed in. We went back to her a bit. Physically, she wasn’t quite ready. She was broken-in at Hinterland and they do a fantastic job with their horses.” Kennewell said, who won the 2017 edition at Ballarat with La Pomme De Pin, another daughter of Yarraman Park’s flagbearer I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
Yeomans, thrilled with the win, had been conservative about the fillies’ chances pre-race.
“Lloyd had some all-women’s syndicates in the past without much luck. I said you’ve got to go again and spend a bit more now you’ve got a female co-trainer and now she looks a steal in hindsight,” Yeomans said.
“I was worried [she wouldn’t finish off] with her leading and not knowing what she’s doing. But [Damian Lane] rode her beautifully. She has natural gate speed which should be an advantage moving forward. We’ll be guided by her. We don’t think she’s just a two-year-old. She has a bright future, so we won’t force the issue” she said.
She has natural gate speed which should be an advantage moving forward. We’ll be guided by her
Damien Lane was pleased with the fillies efforts and believes she was doing it on raw ability.
“She’s very natural and very quick. She’s still learning what it’s about and hopefully she’ll take some learnings from today and that brings her on,” Lane said.
Now a $9 chance for the $3 million Gold Coast feature, Invincible Woman holds eligibility for the lucrative Magic Millions Racing Women’s bonus, which offers $500,000 in bonuses to be distributed to connections of the first four ‘all female owned or leased horses’ in finishing order.
Yeomans said the stable would monitor the filly to see when or where she would have another run before the feature.
“We’ll be guided by her. We don’t think she’s just a two-year-old. She has a bright future, so we won’t force the issue,” she said.
Invincible Woman was bred by Killora Stud, a farm that knows how to breed a Magic Millions winner, having also produced star two-year-old and winner of the 2020 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Away Game (Snitzel). The daughter of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) went on to sell for $4 million at the 2022 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, acquired by Yulong.
Invincible Woman is the third foal out of stakes placegetter and four-time winner Showcase (Big Brown), who has already produced two winners in three-time metropolitan scorer Ambassadorial (Fiorente) and lightly-raced The Showvinist (I Am Invincible), who has registered three wins from just six stars in the Lindsay Park Stable. The mare also has a colt by Newgate Farm’s In The Congo (Snitzel) at foot.
The win gave Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible his second two-year-old winner from his 2022/23 crop, and 234th overall.
