A sire who is truly Invincible

Cover image courtesy of Yarraman Park

The G1 Golden Slipper Stakes victory of Guest House (Home Affairs) on Saturday was a revelation for the stud who stands the colt’s sire, but across the Hunter Valley, it is also the newest high note in the symphony that his grandsire has been composing since entering stud in 2010. The win marks a fourth son of I Am Invincible to sire a Group 1 winner at stud, and a ninth son to produce a stakes winner.

On Sunday, the story continued in Hong Kong where Invincible Ibis (Hellbent) - whose sire son of Vinnie has produced two Group 1 winners from his first crop - captured the Listed Hong Kong Derby after running second in the Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup. In the process, he set a new track record for 2000 metres at Sha Tin.

Both Hellbent and Home Affairs were purchased in the ring as yearlings, the latter of whom was sold by Torryburn Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. As the 2026 edition of the sale bears down on us, the occasion arises to reflect on I Am Invincible’s achievements to date and anticipate what is to come from what could be the stallion’s best crop of yearlings to date.

“He’s been at the top for a long time,” said Yarraman Park Stud’s Harry Mitchell.

“While this season hasn’t been his strongest year, he still has plenty of irons in the fire. His offspring have won the Newmarket and the Manikato, and his influence is getting bigger, in my view, through his sons. He's had a great contribution to Australian breeding, which seems to be continuing as strong as ever.”

Worthy to be at the top

What makes the story of Yarraman Park Stud’s elder statesman so special is the humble beginnings he started from. A Group 3 and Listed winner who was second in the G1 Goodwood Handicap to Takeover Target (Celtic Swing {GB}), I Am Invincible’s first crop of mares were a far cry from the stock that have patronised him in recent years, but he still secured Champion First Season Sire honours in the 2013/14 season.

That first crop produced seven stakes winners, including G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Newmarket Handicap winner Brazen Beau, himself now a Group 1-producing sire and the sire of Group 1-producing sire Tassort, and G1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Voodoo Lad. His second crop turned out eight stakes winners, led by G1 William Reid Stakes winner Hellbent and dual Group 1-winning mare Viddora.

Four seasons later, in 2017/18, he was second in the general sires’ premiership and would hold that position for four straight seasons until securing the first of three straight Australian Champion Sire titles in 2021/22. In addition to his earnings, he has led the country by individual winners for five straight seasons from 2018/19 to 2022/23.

Imperatriz, who retired with 10 Group 1 wins under her belt amongst 19 career victories, was certainly a major contributor to those champion titles, but she is far from the only highlight amongst I Am Invincible’s stock. In that same era, Home Affairs won both the Coolmore in a scintillating three-length domination and backed it up with defeating Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the G1 Lightning Stakes, and In Secret replicated Brazen Beau’s Coolmore–Newmarket double the following season.

To date, he has amassed 123 stakes winners, 73 at Group level and 18 Group 1 winners, and broke through the 1000 career winner ceiling this season to maintain a career strike rate of 81% winners to runners. Between them, they have accrued more than $242 million in progeny earnings to date.

No signs of stopping

The most recent two seasons haven’t slowed the pace; Move To Strike secured a first juvenile Group 1 winner for I Am Invincible in 2024 when taking out the G1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes and received strong support in his first season at stud in 2025, covering 143.

Vinrock, the first horse in 44 years to complete the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes–G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes double when lighting up last autumn, is on a similar trajectory, having been announced for Yulong’s 2026 roster on Sunday. The consistent Caballus hit new heights this autumn when striking in the G1 Newmarket Handicap, becoming his sire's third winner in the race.

The latter is one of eight stakes winners for I Am Invincible this season to date from a total of 120 winners, 107 of which have been on Australian shores.

Joining Caballus at the top level has been Charm Stone, who struck in the G1 Manikato Stakes in the spring, as well as superb 3-year-old My Gladiola, who may only have a Listed win by her name this season but has twice been close to snaring her maiden Group 1 in the Coolmore and the Lightning. Her efforts have contributed to his leading the 3-year-old sires in Australia by winners, and sitting second by prizemoney.

“She definitely has a Group 1 in her,” Mitchell said. “She hasn't had a lot of luck yet, but she's really run some fantastic races. She's a great advert for him as a stallion because she just turns up every start and runs so well. She was a beautiful yearling as well when she was at the sales.”

My Gladiola hasn’t been the only high performer of I Am Invincible’s to miss out on top flight wins; fellow 3-year-old Sylph has been touted, and rightly so, as one of the country’s best maidens.

In her four starts since late November, the filly has finished no further back than third and been beaten no more than two lengths, finishing second in the Listed Mode Plate - ahead of $3 million filly Ernaux (I Am Invincible) - and Listed Gold Edition Stakes before running a tremendous third in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight slot race.

“Michael Freeman's extremely happy with her,” said Mitchell. “Obviously we threw her in the deep end a little bit last year, putting her in a couple of stakes races as a maiden, which isn’t normally our cup of tea - but she performed fantastically. She was very unlucky not to win the first one, she was only beaten a head.

“And then she ran second and third to Grafterburners. We have high hopes for her. We think she's improving a lot, she took a while to put it all together but she does it well now, and we think she'll have an even better prep this time. She’s going to go up to Brisbane and target races like the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes and the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara.”

Juvenile filly Chayan, who won the G2 Reisling Stakes, has been the highlight of six juvenile winners worldwide this season, and she has been joined by the likes of $160,000 Pierro Plate winner Ciaron’s Star and G3 Ottawa Stakes-placed Scintillation.

The next generation provides

The fervour for I Am Invincible sons at stud continues to be strong. 15 sons currently stand at stud in Australia, with Vinrock expanding the number to 16 in 2026. In 2025, Bodyguard served the majority of Tasmania’s broodmare herd in his inaugural season at Armidale Stud, Move To Strike was popular at Lovatsville, and Listed-winning Coolmore runner-up I Am Unstoppable served over 100 mares from his Oaklands Stud base.

“It all started with Brazen Beau,” said Mitchell. “He has been a very good stallion from small numbers of foals, and some of those cheaper sons have done very well, for instance Overshare has produced the G1 Canterbury Stakes winner Lady Laguna.

“Then you get horses of Hellbent and Home Affairs’ calibre, and they are shaping up to be the champion sires of the future. They are trending very well - you would think that they would be chasing more of his sons, and we all know how hard that game is.

“I think Coolmore are pretty happy that they paid $950,000 for Home Affairs. They will have done the maths, they have earned a fair bit of money from him already and they will make a lot more out of him in the future.”

The longevity and versatility of Hellbent’s stock are a point of pride for Mitchell.

“Fundamentally, I think the key to that sireline is that they train on,” he said. “Which is what Hellbent is showing us right now. Not only can he get good 2-year-olds, he can get good three, four, five, and 6-year-olds. It's so important with the price of yearlings today to have stallions who can do that.

“To get a Hong Kong Derby winner over 2000 metres is incredible. The versatility he has is even greater than his father. He hasn’t always been a horse that people have gravitated to, but the quality of his mares has certainly increased in recent years and we think he can be a champion in the future.”

The strength of I Am Invincible’s daughters at stud is also well recognised. His daughters have produced the Royal Ascot heroine Asfoora (Flying Artie) and G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}), amongst 13 stakes winners that also includes G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Straight Charge (Written By) and this season’s Group 3 winners Grand Prairie (Written Tycoon) and Incognito (Stay Inside). He is the maternal grandsire of 275 individual winners to date.

Mitchell was keen to point out that these results are the products of I Am Invincible’s earlier books, which are of lesser quality than the mares who have visited him more recently.

“I am very positive about his abilities as a broodmare sire,” he said. “Those stakes winners aren’t out of his daughters from elite mares yet. His daughters just have so much quality and class that he is no doubt going to be climbing the broodmare sire ranks very quickly.”

In fact, this season I Am Invincible is the highest ranked broodmare sire in Australia to still be an active stallion.

Three of his daughters - Estriella, I Am Me, and Tiz Invincible - sold as broodmare prospects for $2 million or more at last year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, and three more - Moesha, Written In Code, and Miss Enfield - realised $1 million or more at the corresponding Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.

“I would have thought that any attractive filly by him out of a nice family is entitled to sell very well,” Mitchell said. “We try to get as many as we can now. Over the years, they have sold so well that we tend to sell his fillies as yearlings, but we are certainly gathering some high quality Vinnie mares now.”

Lighting up the ring

In recognition of the talents of his stock, it is no surprise that I Am Invincible’s sales averages have stayed above $500,000 every year since 2021. Every year since 2017, he has produced at least one million-dollar yearling, and in every complete sales season since 2019, he has had both a million dollar colt and filly.

Amongst those top-priced yearlings are the aforementioned $3 million filly Ernaux, Listed Phelan Ready Stakes winner Hi Barbie ($1.2 million), G2 Phar Lap Stakes runner-up Federalist ($1 million) who was fifth at the weekend in the G1 Rosehill Guineas, multiple stakes winner Zarastro ($1.05 million), Bodyguard ($1.6 million), Charm Stone ($1.55 million), and Caballus ($1 million).

The yearling crop sold in 2026 are the product of his peak service fee, when he stood for $302,500 inc GST in 2023.

When asked if this could be his best crop to date, Mitchell said, “it could be.”

He continued, “I haven't seen them all physically, but he's got an incredible group of yearlings going to the Easter sale. From what I'm hearing, there's some outstanding individuals. It could easily be his best year. If you look at the dams in the Easter catalogue, it's quite scary really.”

From I Am Invincible’s 100 foals born in 2024, 41 will walk through the ring at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale at the end of this week - the biggest contingent for any sire other than fellow multiple champion Snitzel, and with the greatest percentage of his crop making the catalogue.

Amongst those 41 are daughters of G1 Railway Stakes winner Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge), Champion New Zealand 3YO Filly Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), and Champion 3YO Filly Shoals (Fastnet Rock), who has already produced the Group 3 winner Isthmus (I Am Invincible).

There are also sons of dual Group 1 winner Pippie (Written Tycoon), Time Awaits (Nicconi), the dam of dual Group 1 winner Magic Time (Hellbent), and G1 Levin Classic winner Bonham (Per Incanto {USA}), who features in the Yarraman Park Stud draft.

“We have a very strong draft from Yarraman Park,” Mitchell said. “The Vinnie colt out of Bonham is a lovely horse, and the colt out of the American mare Quality Response is a beautiful horse as well. There is also a colt out of Impecunious, and her half-brother was second in the Hong Kong Derby on Sunday, which is a nice update to have.”

Gallery: I Am Invincible's highlight lots from Yarraman Park Stud's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft, images courtesy of Inglis

Lot 347’s dam Impecunious (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) was third in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes herself, and her half-brother King Of Thunder - Numbers (HK) (NZ) (Tivaci) was second in the G1 Queensland Derby before his export to Hong Kong. He scored in the G3 Centenary Vase in February before his gallant second by a length to Invincible Ibis.

“There are some very well-bred sons and daughters of his in the catalogue,” said Mitchell. “He has offspring with Arrowfield and Coolmore and Vinery Stud, all of the big drafts. I have heard the Humma Humma colt at Widden is quite special, and the Shoals at Arrowfield is a very good filly. They are hugely valuable horses.”

At all stages of their career, that rings true.