Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Million-dollar yearling Caballus (I Am Invincible) put a luckless debut run behind him with an impressive win in Saturday’s ATC Thank You Trainers H. at Randwick. Ridden by James McDonald for trainer Chris Waller, the colt launched a powerful finish from well back in the field to score by 0.06l.
The race produced a remarkable trifecta for this season’s Champion Sire I Am Invincible, with the highly rated Estriella finishing second and Shaken crossing the line in third. This weekend marked a notable milestone for Yarraman Park Stud’s megastar stallion, who was represented by his 200th individual winner from 377 runners during the season.
Caballus was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where he was bought for $1 million by Tom Magnier. The promising youngster is raced by the powerful partnership of Coolmore, Wynaus, Westerberg, Joe Poulin, Sir Peter Vela, Chris Waller Racing, Lynque, Woppitt Bloodstock, Peachester Lodge, Kerry and Jenny Pooley, Rockingham Thoroughbreds and Robert McClure.
Caballus as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Caballus won very nicely on Saturday,” Bhima’s Mike Fleming told TTR AusNZ.
“He was bred by Reg Ryan, and he was foaled and reared by Verna Metcalfe at Middlebrook Farm, so we had a relatively small part to play in his story, compared to some others that we rear and look after all the way through the process.
“But we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to consign this colt on behalf of his breeder. He was always a lovely young horse. It was very pleasing to see him go to such a great home at the sale, and now he’s gone on to make a very promising start to his racing career.
“He’s one of a handful of horses that we’ve sold for his breeder, and it’s always a privilege to be associated with quality young horses like him.”
Mike Fleming | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Caballus completed a successful season for graduates of Bhima’s 2022 yearling drafts. Others to make an impact as 2-year-olds include the standout colt Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), who won three of his five starts including the G1 Sires’ Produce S. and Champagne S.
Free Beer (Astern), Invincible Alf (Brazen Beau) and West Of Dalby (Santos) all won races, while Extreme Threat (Extreme Choice) had only two starts for a third in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) and a fifth in the G1 Blue Diamond.
“It’s been a solid season for the 2-year-olds, headed by what Militarize was able to achieve,” Fleming said. “We’re really looking forward to seeing him come back for his 3-year-old season. It’s hard to say this for a colt who won two Group 1 races as a 2-year-old, but he still looks quite untapped as well. He hopefully has a very exciting season ahead of him.
“Henry (Field) and his team do a great job with the horses that they buy. We do all that we can to give the horses the best possible start, but they then need to get into the right hands and the right stables to allow them to really fulfil their potential on the track. That partnership has repeatedly shown that they can do that.”
A special season
Bhima had plenty to celebrate during the 2022/23 season, with 13 individual stakes wins by its graduates including eight at Group 1 level – along with a triumph in The Everest with Giga Kick (Scissor Kick).
“We’ve had a pretty good season,” Fleming said. “It’s always so rewarding seeing our graduates come out and prove themselves as Group 1 horses and stakes winners, and really put their hands up on the track. Hopefully next season can be as strong again.
“It’s always so rewarding seeing our graduates come out and prove themselves as Group 1 horses and stakes winners...” - Mike Fleming
“Giga Kick was obviously a real highlight, with his amazing win in The Everest, followed by the Group 1 wins in the All Aged S. and Doomben 10,000 later in the season.
“He didn’t go through any sale and was foaled at Arrowfield, but he was reared here before he was broken in. It’s been quite amazing to watch what he’s gone on to do on the racetrack.”
Another multiple Group 1-winning sprint star is the Kiwi mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), who was bred by Raffles Dancers. Bhima offered her at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis secured her for $360,000.
Imperatriz has now earned more than $1.7 million from her 19-start, 13-win career. She had a dominant summer on home soil during her 2022/23 season, winning the G1 Railway S., G1 BCD Group Sprint and G2 Westbury Classic. She then brought that elite form across the Tasman, winning the G1 William Reid S. and running a close second behind Artorius in the G1 Canterbury S.
“She came across to Australia in the autumn and really put her hand up with a Group 1 win in Melbourne,” Fleming said. “I think Te Akau opening up a stable in Melbourne this spring is a really exciting development. It’s going to be huge for David Ellis, the Te Akau team and their owners to have a base over here to target the prizemoney and big races that we’ve got here.
Gallery: Multiple Group 1-winning sprint star Imperatriz is a Bhima graduate
“You’d think that Imperatriz would be a strong candidate to come over to be part of that stable, so it’s going to be exciting to follow her progress.”
But Bhima’s success was not limited to the sprint trips. They also celebrated a triumph in the G1 Victoria Derby at Flemington in the spring with Manzoice (Almanzor {Fr}). He was a $340,000 purchase by Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“That was such a great result for his breeder, Stephanie Hole, who doesn’t breed all that many horses every year,” Fleming said. “We foaled him here, then he went over to Wentwood Grange in New Zealand before coming back to us for his yearling preparation. So he had a bit of rearing on both sides of the Tasman.
“Wentwood have been very good clients of ours over a number of years, so it was very special to get that result for them and the breeder.
“Those Group 1 stars are probably the main highlights for us this season, but the really pleasing thing is that the success hasn’t been all about one client or one horse. It’s been shared through a number of different clients, with a broad base of horses that have stepped up to the mark and delivered fantastic results.
“It’s really great to see people who put so much work in rewarded by these sorts of results.”
