Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Written by Kit Gow
Unbeaten as a 2-year-old, including winning the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes, and splitting Ozzmosis and Shinzo in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at three, I Am Unstoppable will become Queensland’s newest gateway to the I Am Invincible sireline this spring when he joins the Oaklands Stud roster.
The son of Listed Gimcrack Stakes winner Satin Slipper (Pierro), I Am Unstoppable arrived at Neville Stewart’s operation on the weekend and is settling in ahead of his debut season, where he will be offered for $8800 (inc GST).
“From the smaller breeders to the large scale breeders, they are all looking to breed a precocious 2-year-old, and I Am Unstoppable’s first three dams were all just that,” said Stewart.
I Am Unstoppable | Standing at Oaklands Stud
Satin Slipper is one of four juvenile winners for multiple stakes-winning juvenile Satin Shoes (Flying Spur), whose wins include the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes and the Listed Widden Stakes. Her dam Star Satire (NZ) (Volksraad {NZ}) was a dual winner at two before landing the Champion 3YO Filly Sprinter in New Zealand title the following season.
Close in the family is Listed Keith Mackay Handicap winner Shoboard (Show A Heart), granddam of Listed Blue Diamond Preview (colts & geldings) victor High Octant (Deep Field).
“And I Am Invincible as a sire goes without any explanation required,” Stewart continued. “He's produced some very good 2-year-olds. So my view is that I Am Unstoppable is the ideal horse for the Queensland breeding market.”
“My view is that I Am Unstoppable is the ideal horse for the Queensland breeding market.” - Neville Stewart
Stewart explained that the combination of pedigree and performance makes I Am Unstoppable highly complementary to the QTIS bonus scheme, and promises the kind of precocity that ensures breeders and buyers a swift return on investment.
Aside from his Coolmore placing, I Am Unstoppable’s 3-year-old spring was dominated by a number of high class performances for trainers Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans, including running third by a short neck to Cylinder in the G3 Vain Stakes and second to Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}) in the G2 Danehill Stakes by the same margin. Transferred to Ciaron Maher for his 4-year-old season, the entire notched another top calibre placing by running second to Baraqiel (Snitzel) in the G2 McEwen Stakes.
Widden Stud, who have sold I Am Unstoppable to Stewart outright, will retain some lifetime breeding rights in the stallion and will be amongst his biggest supporters in his first season at stud.
“We can be the architect of our own future,” Stewart said. “When he ran second in the Coolmore, Widden paid $4 million for him, which is a sizable amount of money with a syndicate of very high-profile breeders. And obviously, if he would have won a Group 1 race from there on, he would have never found his way to Queensland.
Neville Stewart | Image courtesy of Neville Stewart
“He didn’t, and the reality is that we were very privileged that Widden and David Chester approached us to see if we'd be interested in him. I've had business with David Chester and Magic Millions for 40 years, and David knows exactly the sort of stallion that I look for. As soon as he saw that horse, he knew it had my name written all over it.”
Chester was previously involved in Stewart’s acquisition of Champion Sire Lion Hunter and current roster member Power (GB), and “he knows what Queensland needs”, in Stewart’s words.
“You don't see many horses during your lifetime that you get a really good feeling about,” Stewart said. “I had a good feeling about Iglesia when I flew down to Melbourne to inspect him, and I always felt he'd be a success from day one. And when I saw the foals, I felt stronger.
“I felt the same about Lion Hunter. From day one, I just had a real good feeling with his pedigree, his type, his speed. Then I saw his foals, they sold well at the sales, and then he had the Magic Millions winner (Lovely Jubly) in his first crop of 2-year-olds.
“This fellow, I Am Unstoppable, fits the bill of Iglesia and Lion Hunter. He's got everything. He hasn't got one box that I can't put a tick in.”
“This fellow, I Am Unstoppable, fits the bill of Iglesia and Lion Hunter.” - Neville Stewart
I Am Unstoppable will join Pariah ($6600 inc GST), Power ($13,200 inc GST), and Prince Fawaz ($6600 inc GST) on the Oaklands Stud roster in 2025. Stood on arrangement with Arrowfield Stud, Pariah’s first foals bred in Queensland were born last spring.
“They’re very nice foals,” Stewart said. “Strong, athletic sprinting types that look precocious.”
The G1 JJ Atkins winner Prince Fawaz’s first crop of 2-year-olds arrived on track this season, and they are led by six-figure earner Idyllic Affair who was a city winner at her second start. Stewart expects his offspring to blossom at three.
Idyllic Affair | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“I always knew they were going to take a bit of time, him being by Fastnet Rock, but I bought him because I loved his female family,” he said. “It’s Casino Prince’s family, and if you look under the third dam, there’s Just Awesome, who was lost to the industry prematurely. It’s, in my view, one of the best stallion families.”
