Invincible Army takes Duke of York Stakes in style

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.

From York
Invincible Army (IRE)
By : Invincible Spirit(IRE) x Rajeem(GB)

Wins the Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes

Group 2
3yo+
6f - Good To Firm

Jockey : PJ Mcdonald
Trainer : James Tate
Owner : Saeed Bin Manana#WeHorseRacing
□ @dubairacingtv pic.twitter.com/v8q6pLlbD8

— We Horse Racing (@wehorseracing) May 15, 2019

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.