Written by Georgie Dennis
Ciaron Maher Racing announced on Tuesday that dual Group 1-winning mare Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) has been retired to stud after sustaining an injury.
The mare, who took out last season’s G1 Manikato S. and G1 William Reid S. at The Valley, was found to have heat and inflammation in her near foreleg which would see her miss the spring carnival, and thus the decision to send her straight to stud was made.
“She only had a very slight injury and it wouldn’t have hindered her career but it’s just that crucial time of year where she’s a very, very valuable broodmare,” co-trainer Ciaron Maher told TDN AusNZ.
“You see what Sunlight made and she’s probably as good as or better than Sunlight in terms of pedigree and race record, so she’s just very valuable and at this stage of the year it’s not surprising that the call has been made to retire her and go to stud.”
Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, labelled Loving Gaby as “phenomenal” and has been amazed at what she has been able to achieve in her relatively short career.
“From day one she won the Chairman’s and then she went to a Blue Diamond into the Golden Slipper into a Sires' and into a Champagne. It was unbelievable what she did in her first campaign,” Maher said.
“She was always physically very imposing but to do what she did at her first preparation, she basically did the whole lot on raw ability.
“She was always physically very imposing but to do what she did at her first preparation, she basically did the whole lot on raw ability." - Ciaron Maher
“When Castelvecchio beat her, there was a tearaway leader and she did all the donkey work and he obviously won, but her run was unbelievable.
“At that stage of her career, for a horse in her first preparation being so physically big that was always going to develop, it was amazing what she did.
“And then to come back as a 3-year-old she was always, as I said, very physically imposing.
“She raced against the older horses basically her whole 3-year-old career and they get a huge weight drop, but a lot of the times in the mounting yard she was the biggest horse in the yard and being the 3-year-old filly which is usually pretty unheard of.
Trainers David Eustace and Ciaron Maher
“She beat the best. She was a very, very good horse and I’m sure she would’ve won quite a few more Group 1s in the autumn and beyond.
“She was just one of those horses, one of those out of the box horses that just did what a lot of good horses can’t do. She was elite.”
Loving Gaby broke new ground for her owners Phoenix Thoroughbreds when she became its first Group 1 winner in Australia, and the CEO of the global racing operation Amer Abdulaziz said, “It’s sad that we have seen the last of Loving Gaby on the track, but we are excited about the next stage of her career. She is the type of mare that could be the cornerstone of our broodmare band for years to come.
“She has always been a bit of a sentimental favourite for everyone at Phoenix, not just because she was our first Group 1 winner in Australia but also down to the fact she is named after a dearly departed friend of one of our colleagues. We also enjoyed the tales and videos of her mischievous behaviour around the yard.
“She has always been a bit of a sentimental favourite for everyone at Phoenix, not just because she was our first Group 1 winner in Australia but also down to the fact she is named after a dearly departed friend of one of our colleagues." - Amer Abdulaziz
“I would like to thank Ciaron, David and all the team for the fantastic job they did in guiding her through a truly exceptional career and to all the jockeys who gave her such good rides. We have a lot of special memories to reflect on.”
Phoenix also said that details of her mating plans will be announced at a later date.
Loving Gaby was purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $500,000 from the Kia Ora Stud draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Loving Gaby as a yearling
She won on debut in the G3 Chairman’s S. at Caulfield and went on to finish sixth in the G1 Blue Diamond S., fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper S., second in the G1 Sires’ Produce S., and wrapped up her first preparation with another second in the G1 Champagne S.
Returning in the spring that year, she took out the G3 Scarborough S. at The Valley, where she would return two stakes later to land her maiden Group 1 win in the Manikato.
Her record since then speaks for itself. Second in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic, third in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S., second in the G1 Newmarket H., a win in the William Reid and coming to the end of her campaign in the G1 TJ Smith S. where she finished down the field.
Overall, Loving Gaby had 13 starts for four wins, six placings and amassed a total of $2,281,250 in prizemoney.
Off the back of her success on the racetrack, her dam Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) sold for $2,250,000 to Coolmore and James Bester Bloodstock at the 2019 Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Loving Gaby is her only named foal to date, however she has a 2-year-old filly by Sebring and a yearling filly by I Am Invincible, while she is currently in foal to Coolmore’s Triple Crown-winning shuttler Justify (USA).
