Fourth on debut in mid-November behind Capitalist filly Espana, 3yo I Am Invincible colt Tower Bridge went a month between runs and was simply too classy for his rivals at Geelong on Friday, stepping up to the 1230m and racing away for a three and a half length victory.
On the second line of betting behind the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr trained debut runner Kandinsky (NZ), jockey Lachlan Neindorf jumped the Mark Walker trained Tower Bridge away smartly from the gates with the $1.3m Magic Millions graduate sent forward to lead.
With Neindorf steadying the field once in the lead, the Hawkes Racing trained Trooper went forward to sit just off Tower Bridge’s outside, while the race favourite Kandinsky was back in third, but trapped three wide.
Picking up the tempo just before the home turn, Tower Bridge entered the straight a length clear, before accelerating away from the field to be five lengths from his nearest rival at one stage.
Eased down before the line, Tower Bridge held a three and a half length winning margin on Pat Cannon’s debut runner Col Klink who had worked home well to take third, with another length and three quarters back to Trooper who battled away for third.
Riding the colt for the first time, Neindorf was impressed with not only his ability, but his manners.
“Beautiful colt, very well educated by Mark, Ben and the team at home,” enthused Neindorf.
“Gave me a beautiful ride and look, and to be honest, the credit has to go to Ben and the team.
“He bounced well from the barriers.
“It was a little bit racy early when that horse was sort of being a bit of a pest up there. But once he rolled and found the front, I was able just to bring him back after he'd got that furlong of steam out and get a couple cheap sectionals as a breather.
“He's got a good temperament. That'll take him a long way. Just an absolute privilege I'm sure for Ben and Mark and myself to get a winner in Coolmore colours. It's a great honour, so I can't thank them all enough and this colt is going to be an exciting one to go forward.”
Purchased for $1.3m by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis and Coolmore’s Tom Magnier from the Magic Millions yearling sale draft of Yarraman Park Stud, Tower Bridge is the fourth winner from four to the races out of the New Zealand-bred Street Cry mare Palace Talk.
Bred by Arthur Mitchell and Yarraman Park Partnership, Tower Bridge is a brother to the Group 2 winner Shuffle Dancer as well as the four-time Group 3 placed Forbidden City while he is also a half-brother to the Group 2 placed Never Talk who was good enough to finish fourth in the Group 1 Surround Stakes.
A half-sister to the dams of Group 2 winner Contessa Vanessa and the Listed winner Astor, Palace Talk is also the dam of Listed winner Niki Piki Milo, who is in turn the dam of this season’s Group 2 winner McGaw, who is inturn a son of I Am Invincible's stakes-winning son I Am Immortal.
Having missed to I Am Invincible the season after foaling Tower Bridge, Palace Talk foaled a filly last season by the three time Champion sire before unfortunately missing again the following season.
It’s a family that has works well with I Am Invincible, hence Never Talk has visited him in both her seasons at stud, producing a filly last season who will be offered as Lot 604 at January’s Magic Millions yearling sale by Yarraman Park, while the mare foaled a colt in September this year.
With seven stakes winners so far this season, more than any other stallion, headed by Group 1 winner Charm Stone, I Am Invincible will be represented this Saturday by Yarraman Park Stud’s Magic Millions graduate Countyourblessings who lines up in the Listed BRC Just Now (1300m) for John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
