Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday December 1

Coming off a chart-topping month with 38 winners, I Am Invincible will be out to start the new month by claiming an honour that has so far eluded him this season, a Group 1 winner.

Unless you have a horse the calibre of a Winx, the decision to keep a mare in training once she reaches five requires plenty of thought, particularly if she is a well-bred stakes-winner.

Connections of Viddora obviously believe the daughter of I Am Invincible has some unfinished business.

She has a Group III win and Listed stakes win in South Australia to her credit but that seems scant reward for a mare that was inched out by She Will Reign in the Moir Stakes (1000m) and finished second to Secret Agenda in the Group 1 UBET Classic (Robert Sangster Stakes).

She was also a leading chance in the Group 1 Goodwood Hcp at Morphettville but came up with a foot abscess shortly before the race.


The Lloyd Kennewell-trained mare heads to Ascot on Saturday with a favourites chance in the $1 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m).

She is coming off a fourth behind Hey Doc in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 27.

Bred by Riva Ridge, Viddora has a record of 6 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third from 22 starts with prizemoney of $858,480

A $40,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase for her trainer in 2014, Viddora is the second foal of the 5-time Melbourne winner Snow Flight, a daughter of the Zabeel stallion Colombia, a brother to Octagonal and Mouawad.

Zabeel is out of the Nureyev mare Lady Giselle whose dam Valderna is out of the outstanding broodmare Derna who is the great- great- granddam of Snow Flight.

Derna produced the top fillies Detroit (Arc de Triomphe) and Durtal (Cheveley Park Stakes and 2nd 1000 Guineas).

A daughter of Riverman, Detroit produced the 1994 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie (IRE) while Durtal (Lyphard) is the dam of dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Gildoran (Rheingold) who, like Carnegie, found his way to stud in Australia.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Patience Pays Off with Karaka Book 1 Investment Mare
November Rain was a standout filly for Matthew Goodson and Dianna Perron, but she has proven to be a test of patience as a broodmare for the husband-and-wife duo, which was rewarded on Saturday through the deeds of her daughter No Rain Ever.
Darley Announce 2024 Fees
Darley in Australia has announced the fees for 18 G1-winning stallions set to stand in New South Wales and Victoria for the 2024 breeding season with Too Darn Hot (GB) afforded a big rise in the wake of his exciting colt Broadsiding winning the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes last Saturday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Trial action was at Rosehill on Tuesday morning with five heats for juveniles that included some unraced winners by champion sires Snitzel and Written Tycoon, plus some expensive youngsters caught the eye with strong finishing runs into the placings.
De Venus Impresses for De Gaulle
It was a very nice turn of foot shown by the promising De Venus at Sale today, the Mark Webb trained four-year-old son of Bombora Downs' De Gaulle racing away to an easy win at just his third outing.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday April 23
Here is the full list of 15 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Vintage Crop – Where Are They Now?
With three of our first season sires posting Group I winners this season and five in total siring the winners of over a million with three more months of this season to come, we’re entitled to speculate on whether these guys have the makings of a vintage crop of sires such as we saw in 2020/2021.
Vinery Stud Announce 2024 Fees
Hawaii Five Oh is an exciting newcomer to Vinery Stud’s seven-strong roster and breeders will be pleased to know that there have been no service fee increases to the line-up this year.
One to Watch – Sale
The Sale meeting on Tuesday had some excitement to start the program when a three year-old filly by champion sire I Am Invincible blitzed her rivals to win as she pleased.
Newgate Announce 2024 Roster and Fees
Newgate Farm have announced their 2024 roster and fees headlined by three first season horses in top class Group One winning colts, Ozzmosis and Militarize along the highly rated Group Two winner King’s Gambit.
Sun Shining on Kiwi Breeders
Progressive filly Moonlight Magic took a significant last-start step toward the goal of a third Group One winner for The Sunlight Trust with her breakthrough success at stakes level.