James Tate-trained four-year-old Invincible Army has made a sparkling start to his season and promises to play a major role in the top six-furlong races of the coming months. A leading juvenile sprinter of 2017, he added a Group 3 win last year but has kicked off 2019 with comfortable wins in the Listed Unibet Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster and Group 2 Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes at York.
Major Jumbo has been the one to chase him home in both races, and the margin of victory this afternoon was two and a quarter lengths. Yafta was another three-parts of a length back in third with a half-length and the same back to Limato (gave 3lbs) and Hey Jonesy. P J McDonald has been on board for both of the colt's wins this year. He won the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at two and was runner-up in each of the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes, Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes and Group 3 Molecomb Stakes. Last year he beat Eqtidaar in the Group 3 Merriebelle Stables Pavilion Stakes at Ascot before failing by just a nose to beat Sands Of Mali in the Group 2 Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
He is, as his name suggests, a son of the Irish National Stud's star stallion Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert), the classic and prolific Group 1 sire whose sons at stud include Lawman, I Am Invincible, and Kingman. Clive Brittain trained his dam, Rajeem (by Diktat), and she added a 50/1 defeat of Nannina in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket to the mile listed contest she won at Newmarket as a juvenile. Her dam, Magic Sister (by Cadeaux Genereux), was placed over seven furlongs but is a full-sister to Hoh Magic. That former Michael Bell trainee was third to Gay Gallanta in the Group 3 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, won a listed contest at Sandown, the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville, and took fourth in both that year's Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and the following spring's Group 1 1000 Guineas – the classic was won by Harayir. Hoh Magic later finished third to Lake Coniston in the Group 1 July Cup. All of this combined is surely enough to secure a good place at stud for Invincible Army whenever his racing days end, and yet the best of his form on the track may still be to come.
Aidan O'Brien reached a remarkable landmark at Newmarket this afternoon when saddling Magna Grecia to win the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, the trainer's tenth winner of the mile classic. It was a second consecutive win in the race for jockey Donnacha O'Brien, and a second Group 1 success for the horse.
Magna Grecia, a son of the Irish National Stud stallion Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert), was the stable second string with Ryan Moore partnering the 9/4 favourite Ten Sovereigns. Both colts were Group 1 stars last year but neither had run since their top-level win and the favourite, who showed a touch of brilliance over six furlongs, was not guaranteed to get the trip. It is a pity that the field split into two groups especially as it seemed that the trio racing on the stands' side may have had an advantage. They finished first, second and sixth in the 19-runner contest. That said, Magna Grecia beat 66/1 King Of Change by two and a half lengths with a further gap of one and three-quarter lengths back to third-placed Skardu, who had a head and the same to spare over Madhmoon and Ten Sovereigns. The recent listed scorers Shine So Bright and Kick On were another half-length and the same back in sixth and seventh. Each of this septet remains a colt of potential, with the runner-up – a second-crop son of Farhh (by Pivotal) – giving the impression that he may have run an excellent trial for the Group 1 Investec Derby. Ten Sovereigns, whose pedigree does give him a chance to stay a mile, seems likely to drop back in trip following this defeat and may be seen next in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs at Royal Ascot in June, and a possible clash with the equally exciting Calyx.
Magna Grecia got some short ante-post quotes for the Investec Derby after his Group 1 Vertems Futurity Trophy victory and after today's classic success, but although he does have the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby among his entries, he is not currently engaged in the Epsom classic. The distaff side of his pedigree gives him a chance to join Born To Sea and Allied Forces as being a rare Invincible Spirit who stays 12 furlongs in top company, but post-race interviews with connections indicated that a campaign at around a mile is the likely plan of action. He is in both the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes. Invincible Spirit, a Timeform 121-rated six-furlong Group 1 winner whose dam, Rafha (by Kris), won the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), is long established as being one of the best stallions in Europe. His 18 Group 1 stars feature standouts such as Charm Spirit, Kingman, and Moonlight Cloud, and his early stallion sons include Lawman, I Am Invincible, and Kingman, which augurs well for the eventual prospects of Magna Grecia. His new classic hero is a half-brother to a couple of winners out of Cabaret (by Galileo), a former Ballydoyle trainee who won a Curragh maiden and the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown, both over seven furlongs at two. Her half-brother Drumfire (by Danehill Dancer) won the Group 3 Solario Stakes over that same trip and half-brother Ho Choi (by Pivotal) was a blacktype scorer over the distance in Hong Kong, but there is plenty of stamina to be found if you go back a bit farther on the page. Grandam Witch Of Fire (by Lear Fan), a blacktype-placed winner over seven furlongs, is a half-sister to several middle-distance winners and one who scored over two miles – as well as to a prolific sprinter – and she is out of the Lomond (by Northern Dancer) mare Fife. That one got her blacktype when third in a 10-furlong listed contest at Goodwood but was later placed at 14 furlongs at York. However, more notable about Fife is that she was a half-sister to the talented stayer El Conquistador (by Shirley Heights) and to the dam of the Group 1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells (by Efisio), and that her two-mile winning dam was a half-sister to the Group 1 Irish St Leger scorer Mountain Lodge (by Blakeney). Magna Grecia, who was bred by Woodnook Farm Pty Ltd and made 340,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, is a Timeform 116p-rated mile Group 1 winner at two who has gone on to become a classic star at three. There is a good chance that he will double-up with classic victory at the Curragh and every reason to hope that he will be able to hold his own when he takes on his elders later in the year.
The Irish National Stud's flag bearer Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) completed an international big-race double today when, just hours after his son Magna Grecia won the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in England, Digital Age landed the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs.
He beat the Grade 3 scorer A Thread Of Blue (gave 2lbs) by three-parts of a length with favourite Social Paranoia a head back in third. That pair are members of the Kiaran McLaughlin and Todd Pletcher teams respectively, whereas fourth-placed Seismic Wave is with Bill Mott. The going was described as firm. The Chad Brown-trained three-year-old has won all three of his starts to date, including a mile listed contest at Tampa Bay Downs in early March, and although he still has a lot of progress to make to be up to that standard, it would be no surprise to see him line up for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. The Irish-born colt was bred by Merry Fox Stud Ltd, he is a 325,000gns graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and he comes from a famous family. His fifth dam is the outstanding racehorse and influential broodmare Time Charter (by Saritamer).
Digital Age is the first foal of Willow View (by Lemon Drop Kid), an unraced half-sister to the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 3 Albany Stakes winner Cursory Glance (by Distorted Humor). It is a little surprising that filly is her dam's only successful runner from her first six foals of racing age. That mare, Time Control (by Sadler's Wells), is a winning full-sister to the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret and Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Time On and they are out of Time Away (by Darshaan) who won the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York in 2001 before going on to take third place in both the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and Group 1 Nassau Stakes. Time Away is the best of seven winners among 11 offspring produced from Not Before Time (by Polish Precedent). Those siblings include the Group 1 Prix de Diane runner-up Time Ahead (by Spectrum) and also Original Spin (by Machiavellian), the dual winning dam of the talented Japanese horse Incantation (by Sinister Minister). That grandson of Old Trieste (by A.P. Indy) won 11 times in a lengthy career, including Grade 3 contests at Nakayama, Niigata and Kyoto, he was runner-up in the Grade 1 February Stakes at Tokyo, was best at eight and nine furlongs, and took up stallion duties at East Stud earlier this year. As a daughter of Oaks, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Coronation Cup, and Champion Stakes heroine Time Charter, the unraced Not Before Time is a half-sister to five blacktype horses and related to many more. Her half-brother Zinaad (by Shirley Heights), for example, won the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes and later sired the Group 1 1000 Guineas, Group 1 Oaks and Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes heroine Kazzia. That achievement could take on additional significance should Digital Age earn a berth at stud, especially given that the early Invincible Spirit stallions feature Lawman, I Am Invincible, and Kingman. Not Before Time's half-sister Time Allowed (by Sadler's Wells) also won the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes, stakes-placed By Charter (by Shirley Heights) became a broodmare of note, and so did Time Saved (by Green Desert), one of the siblings who failed to earn any blacktype. By Charter is the dam of the Group 2 Lonsdale Stakes winner and Group 1 Irish St Leger third First Charter (by Polish Precedent), Group 2 Prix Hocquart winner and Group 1 Deutsches Derby third Anton Chekhov (by Montjeu), and listed scorer and Group 1 Derby Italiano runner-up Private Charter (by Singspiel). She is also the grandam of Group 2 Lowther Stakes heroine Best Terms (by Exceed And Excel) and third dam of Italian Group 3 scorer Faciascura (by Oratorio). Time Saved, on the other hand, is responsible for the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Plea Bargain (by Machiavellian), Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes winner Lay Time (by Galileo), and juvenile listed scorer Jira (by Medicean). A pedigree like this makes Digital Age a particularly interesting member of the current three-year-old crop racing in North America. He is clearly effective at today's trip of eight and a half furlongs and it would not be a surprise to see him handle 10 furlongs well. |
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