Superstar Winx to visit rags-to-riches stallion I Am Invincible for first mating

Winx will remain in Australia and be covered by I Am Invincible later this year with the champion mare’s owners landing on the star Yarraman Park Stud-based stallion for her maiden mating after considering elite stallions from around the world.

The long-awaited mating plan for four-time Cox Plate winner Winx, who won 33 races in succession and 25 at Group 1 level, was confirmed on Monday.

Part-owner Debbie Kepitis, who raced the Chris Waller-trained rising eight-year-old mare with Peter and Patty Tighe and Richard Treweeke, said they had reached a consensus that Winx should not be sent overseas to be mated this year.

That decision led to a range of bloodstock agents and advisers being consulted about which Australian sire best suited Winx, with a unanimous decision reached that I Am Invincible was the right stallion.

"As everyone knows, she's a star, so we had to take our time about where and what we wanted to do," Kepitis said.

"We also had to agree 100 per cent and it takes time to deliberate on all that, but I'm very happy with the decision.

Winx co-owners Debbie Kepitis (right) and Peter Tighe with Peter's wife Patty

"Whatever we produce with her will be wonderful, so to start off with I Am Invincible is very important.

"He's a stallion who has made himself from a fairly low start. Winx was a mare who was bought at a medium price (£125,500/€140,000/A$230,000) and made herself, so I think that's fitting."

There was much conjecture during the latter stages of Winx's stellar racing career about campaigning her overseas, but connections resisted the temptation and have done so again in rejecting proposals to send her to an international stallion.

"We all felt that we had just as good stallions here [in Australia] and that we would like to keep her here," Kepitis said.

"That's nothing against the stallions overseas. The choice you would have and the progeny you could produce would have been amazing but we have to be happy with the decision we have made."

The mating with Winx further enhances the remarkable stud career of Yarraman Park Stud’s relative rags-to-riches sire I Am Invincible, who has already twice covered champion mare Black Caviar in 2017 and 2018 and could challenge for the leading sire title next season.

Yarraman Park Stud’s Harry Mitchell revealed that he received news that Winx would be visiting I Am Invincible at about 10am – two hours before the decision was made public.

"I knew that they were tossing up between a couple of horses. I have known that for a couple of weeks but only this morning someone said there would be a press release at midday," Mitchell told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"We knew he was in the mix, but we weren’t sure, so we're pretty happy that the owners have decided to go with him.

"It's a great endorsement for the horse worldwide."

In all jurisdictions this season, I Am Invincible has sired 29 individual stakes winners of 41 stakes races with progeny earnings sitting at A$19,410,812 (£10,600,000 /€11,850,000). His 2018-19 honour roll includes five Group 1 winners, namely Viddora, Oohood, Media Sensation, Voodoo Lad and Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara winner Invincibella.

I Am Invincible, who is Australia’s most expensive stallion in 2019 at a fee of A$247,500 (£135,000/€151,000), is also the leading two-year-old sire this season with 20 winners and eight stakes winners.

"He seems to suit most mares and Winx is a scopey type of mare. Obviously she was a complete champion but what I Am Invincible does is that you can breed a two-year-old or you can breed a two-year-old that trains on until it's five," Mitchell said.

"With the longevity of his progeny and also the way Winx had longevity, I think it's a good starting point for the mare.

"He throws a very good type. He gets colts and fillies and I think it's a great mating."

I Am Invincible: currently Australia's most expensive stallionCredit: Yarraman Park Stud

The ownership group consulted Waller and agent Guy Mulcaster, who selected Winx as a yearling, as well as other trusted experts before reaching a final decision to send her to I Am Invincible.

Waller prepared Invincibella to win her maiden Group 1 at Eagle Farm on Saturday and he has also had success this season with Group 2 winner Fiesta. He also trained dual Group 1 winner and now exciting first-season sire Brazen Beau, who emerged from I Am Invincible’s first crop that were born in 2011.

Kepitis said: "I remember back in my time with Dad [Bob Ingham] and Octagonal and Lonhro. There was no-one better than John Hawkes for training the Octagonal babies because of his experience with Octagonal [as a racehorse].

"For Chris to have done so well with I Am Invincible, it does make a difference."

Kepitis has long said she had the desire to race the progeny of Winx but said yesterday a firm decision on whether her foals will see a sales ring had not been reached with the Tighes and Treweeke.

"Each of us has had different things on. I have travelled; Peter’s been involved in other opportunities and is travelling now," she said.

"We haven’t thought past the urgent things, like getting her to a farm and settled and coming up with a stallion."

Meanwhile, the I Am Invincible-Street Cry cross has so far had just two runners, including the Singapore barrier trial winner and last year’s A$110,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale graduate Life After U.

I Am Invincible is set to cover between 170 and 180 mares in 2019, having served an average of 207 mares for the past five years, with Winx’s booking adding to the elite band of mares heading in his direction.

Mitchell said: "He has been very dominant this year with his stakes performers and I think it's a real feather in his cap that he's in front on the two-year-old sires without winning one of the big three, because that is very hard to do."

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