Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Vinrock (I Am Invincible), bred by Rosemont Stud, became the first horse in 44 years to win both the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes in a break-out juvenile season that showcased his own Champion Sire’s ability to leave quality 2-year-olds. He will stand his first season at Yulong in 2026 for $22,000 inc GST.
The Golden Slipper underpins Vinnie’s sire of sires game
Multiple Champion Sire I Am Invincible added a new benchmark as a sire of sires on Saturday with his son Home Affairs siring the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Guest House with his first crop. Vinnie, as he is affectionately known by the Australian racing community, is growing a reputation as a sire of sires, and the Slipper result only adds to the story.
“Vinrock is a son of I Am Invincible, and from a high-quality Redoute’s Choice mare like Zoustar, Anamoe, and Super Seth, and we’re excited to welcome him to the farm.” - Sam Fairgray
“Vinrock is a son of I Am Invincible, and from a high-quality Redoute’s Choice mare like Zoustar, Anamoe, and Super Seth, which gives him a pedigree that will really resonate with breeders, and we’re excited to welcome him to the farm,” said Yulong’s Sam Fairgray.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park
I Am Invincible is the sire of 18 Group 1 winners, and only two of those have won their Group 1 at two, being Move To Strike and Vinrock. Home Affairs, who won the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes at two, improved at three to add the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and was well supported in his first season. That support is now being rewarded on the track with three stakes winners from his first crop of juveniles, only three-quarters of the way into the season.
Vinnie's record as a sire of sires looks to grow from small beginnings as his better pedigreed colts retire to stud. But those who are already siring winners are proving to be excellent, which bodes well for the future.
Brazen Beau | Standing at Darley
Brazen Beau, from an early crop of I Am Invincible and who, like Home Affairs, was a Group 2-winning juvenile who won the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, has steadily grown his stud record to sire 30 stakes winners. He’s the sire of three Group 1 winners, being G1 Galaxy Handicap victor Zapateo, G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes victrix On The Bubbles, and G1 Thousand Guineas winner Another Prophet.
Hellbent, Vinnie’s barnmate at Yarraman Park Stud, sired this season’s exciting 2-year-olds G3 BJ McLachlan Stakes winner Zip Lock and Golden Gift victor Revengeance, and he has 10 stakes winners led by the tough sprinting Group 1-winning mares Magic Time and Benedetta.
Hellbent | Standing at Yarraman Park
After Vinrock’s victory in the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes, TTR wrote about I Am Invincible and his reputation as a sire of good sprinters who get better with age. Despite the reputation for not really getting juveniles, at the time of writing, 52 of Vinnie's 117 stakes winners achieved their first stakes win in their juvenile year.
Since that article was written in April last year, I Am Invincible has added six more stakes winners including G2 Reisling Stakes winner Chayan, and his tally after this weekend stands at 123 stakes winners.
A high class juvenile suits the marketplace
Australia’s love of precocious runners is an undisputed fact in the marketplace. Vinrock was a relative bargain when purchased by Matt Laurie and Wilannah Park Bloodstock for $300,000 from the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
But it was money well spent as he was first seen at the races in late February of 2025 when he won on debut at Pakenham. Taken immediately to the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, he won by two lengths and Laurie decided to skip the Golden Slipper and focus on the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes over the same 1400-metre distance as the Victorian version.
Matt Laurie | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He’s a class horse, we knew he was tough right from the beginning, and he showed so much natural talent. He was unbeaten as a 2-year-old, and he’s a hell of a type, so he’s going to be very well received when he gets to stud,” Laurie said.
“He’s (Vinrock) a class horse, we knew he was tough right from the beginning, and he showed so much natural talent.” - Matt Laurie
Vinrock had to work for the win in the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce with the official margin of 0.3 lengths to State Visit (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Multiple Group 1-placed Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was fourth while third went to Buffalo (Written By) who recently won the Newcastle Provincial-Midway Championship Qualifier at his first start at three.
Vinrock | Standing at Yulong Investments
“Vinrock is an exceptional colt. Elite performances at two, an outstanding page, and a real physical presence,” Fairgray said.
“Vinrock is an exceptional colt. Elite performances at two, an outstanding page, and a real physical presence.” - Sam Fairgray
“To win both the VRC and ATC Sires’ Produce races in the same season is so rare and speaks volumes about his class, toughness, and natural ability.”
Sam Fairgray | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
At three, Vinrock continued his good form winning the Listed Exford Plate at his second start, beating West Of Swindon (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who won the G2 Bill Stutt Stakes at his next start. Fourth in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, Vinrock found the mile slightly too far, and was dropped back to his favoured 1400 metres for his final start in the G1 CF Orr Stakes where he was the first 3-year-old to cross the line.
He retires with four wins from eight starts and earnings over $1.2 million.
Sires’ Produce Stakes as a sire-making race
The G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes has been won in fairly equal amounts by colts and fillies in recent times, but the colts who have won have been excellent at stud. Anamoe, whose first crop of yearlings are exciting the judges, won in 2021 before adding eight more Group 1 wins at three and four.
Anamoe | Standing at Darley
Second crop sire King’s Legacy is joined by proven Group 1 sires Pride Of Dubai and Pierro as recent winners of the race, while Manhattan Rain and Sebring both also greeted the judge in this race.
The G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes hasn’t had many colts who’ve gone to stud win the race, with plenty of geldings and fillies on the honour’s board, but All Too Hard stands out as a winner who has made his mark both on the track and at stud.
All Too Hard | Standing at Vinery Stud
A stunning pedigree to add to the equation
Vinrock is the third foal of G2 Matriarch Stakes winner Girl Gone Rockin’ (Redoute’s Choice) to race, with his two older siblings both winners. Redoute’s Choice, a multiple Champion Sire, has made his mark as a damsire with 187 stakes winners and counting in that realm. He has 30 Group 1 winners as a damsire, and as mentioned earlier by Fairgray, among them is Australia’s reigning Champion Sire Zoustar.
Young stallions Anamoe, Artorius, Hitotsu, and Profondo are all out of Redoute’s Choice mares, while Zoustar is joined in the proven sire realm by Super Seth who was recently purchased by Coolmore Stud for $70 million.
The late Redoute’s Choice | Image courtesy of Arrowfield
Girl Gone Rockin', who has unraced 2-year-old filly Sherika (Pierro) and a filly foal by Churchill (Ire) to come, is a half-sister to G3 Queen’s Cup victor Syreon (Flying Spur) who placed in the G1 ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was fourth in a G1 Doncaster Handicap.
They are both out of G2 Queen Of The Turf Stakes winner Sorrento (NZ) (Just a Dancer {NZ}) who won seven races including four other black type races. Sorrento is a half-sister to three stakes winners in New Zealand, and recent G2 Percy Sykes Stakes victrix Jamaea (Headwater) is also from this family.
The late Sorrento (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
An unbeaten juvenile Group 1-winning colt with a strong pedigree and good physique, Vinrock is set to ‘rock the world’ at Yulong in 2026.
