Crowned Australia's Champion First Season Sire for 2013/2014 by earnings, winners and stakes-winners, I Am Invincible has dominated his more expensive peers in impressive fashion for a sire that stood his debut season at $11,000.
I Am Invincible has produced 17 individual first crop winners – 15 of them in Australia and two in New Zealand – led by five stakes-winners in Brazen Beau, Vinnie Eagle, Leeds, Fuld's Bet and Bassilique, plus three stakes place-getters in Tetsuko, Silent Whisper and Uratta Belle.
His progeny have not only excelled on the track, but also in the sale ring,
where they averaged over $70,000 across the board at all yearling sales and
averaged $240,000 at Magic Millions where his stunning filly from Zelady
fetched $440,000.So what's in store next for I Am Invincible and how does he stack up with past champion Australian first season sires?
While some leading first season sires struggle to capitalize on their initial success due to lack of follow through numbers in subsequent crops. That should not be the case for I Am Invincible.
The Group III winning son of Invincible Spirit (IRE) has covered a bigger and slightly better book in each of his four seasons at stud to date as breeders liked what they saw and rushed to secure more.
With a fee increase this year to $27,500, I Am Invincible will cover mares of a markedly higher quality this year, so will have every opportunity to excel even further as time goes on.
As a racehorse, I Am Invincible found his best form as an older horse, as did his sire Invincible Spirit, who was a stakes-winner at two, but won his career defining Group I Sprint Cup at Haydock as a five year-old.
A noted sire of two year-olds, Invincible Spirit has many other strings to his bow as the sire of champion mare Moonlight Cloud (she's the one than nearly beat Black Caviar at Royal Ascot) and this year's star three year-old miler Kingman, so to assume I Am Invincible will only get speedy two year-olds might be a grave mistake.
I Am Invincible has end of season statistics that compare favourably with and are better than some of the best Champion Australian First Season Sires in recent times.
His 17 winners (15 in Australia, two in New Zealand) include five stakes-winners headed by Group I placed Group II winner Brazen Beau, their progeny earnings in Australia topping $1.1 million.
Last year's ill-fated Champion First Season Sire Northern Meteor finished with 18 Australian winners including three stakes-winners, Stratum had 13 winners including two stakes-winners, Exceed and Excel had 13 winners including five stakes-winners, More Than Ready (USA) had 16 winners including six stakes-winners, Redoute's Choice had five winners including two stakes-winners, General Nediym had 12 winners including four stakes-winners and Lion Hunter had 16 winners including one stakes-winner.
Leading sires Fastnet Rock and Snitzel both finished runner-up as First Season Sires in their respective years and neither had the winners or stakes-winners to match I Am Invincible, despite having a huge advantage in terms of opportunity.
I Am Invincible has a long way to go to be considered in the same class as the sires above, but all early indications would lead us to be optimistic that he has what it takes to make a lasting impression.
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