New milestone in sire precocity.



The thoroughbred world is witness to new leader in the ranks of precocity. Invincible Spirit (IRE) shattered the previous mark of 39 held in co-title by Chapel Royal and Forest Wildcat, when the 42nd foal of his 2008 crop was a maiden no more. The thirteen-year-old son of Green Desert who stands at Irish National Stud in Co. Kildare, Ire will stand the 2011 season for $79,170 (60,000 euros). It will surely be an interesting 2011 as Invincible Spirit has two well-meant contenders for the 3YO European classics.
His leading juvenile earners of 2010 are the undefeated =Fury (GB), winner of the £500,000 Tattersalls Millions  2YO Trophy Stakes at Newmarket Oct 2, an effort good enough to be entered for next year’s 2,000 Guineas, and  the crack sprinting filly Hooray (Ire), an impressive 4 1/2-length winner of  the Adnams Cheveley Park Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket Oct. 1, a race considered to be a major stepping stone to the  1,000 Guineas next year.  Invincible Spirit (Ire) is represented by current year progeny earnings of $5,930,407 with 15 stakes winners to date. His lifetime progeny earnings are a stellar  $24,460,036 with champions; Fleeting Spirit $1,216,865, and  Age of Chivalry $155,07. He is the sire of 17 graded stakes winners including 2009 Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York $1,158,686, and French Derby winner Lawman $1,550,21
As a racehorse Invincible Spirit compiled 7 wins in 17 starts earning £247,786 over a four-year campaign for owner Prince A. A. Faisal and trainer J.J. Dunlop. A stakes winner at 2,  Invincible Spirit would eventually be voted JT top rated older sprinter in Ireland as a 4YO with wins in the Grade 3 Aon MacDonagh Boland Stakes ( in track record time of 1:08.1), and the Listed Ruinart Champagne Hackwood Stakes at Newbury. His only Grade 1 win would be in the  HAYDOCK SPRINT CUP beating 5 G1 winners as a 5YO.

Retired  to stand in his native Ireland, he made an immediate impact at stud. As a freshman sire of 2006 he was sire to 35 maiden winning juveniles breaking the mark previously held by End Sweep and Fasiliyev.
Bred by Nawara Stud Co. Ltd and produced from the graded stakes winning Rafha (Ire) a daughter of Kris (GB),  Invincible Spirit is ½ to 11 winners including-

• SADIAN (GB) (1995 c. by Shirley Heights), won 7 races from 2 to 4 years and £122,460 including Lanes End John Porter Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3 and Ormonde Stakes, Chester, Gr.3
• ACTS OF GRACE (USA) (2003 f. by Bahri), 3 races at 3 years, £52,824 including Princess Royal Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3 and Prix des Tourelles, ChantillyL.
• MASSARRA (GB) (1999 f. by Danehill (USA)), won 3 races at 2 and 3 years and £54,275 including Empress Stakes, Newmarket, L.

When examining the propensity for precocity within the pedigree of Invincible Spirit, it first becomes evident that his tail-male line is very capable of producing juvenile champions. His sire Green Desert, a graded stakes winning son of Danzig has a very impressive resume:

• SHEIKH ALBADOU (champion 3yo colt in Fr, champion sprinter and champion older male in Eur champion older male in Eng, Eng-I),
• DESERT PRINCE (champion 3yo colt in Eur, Fr and Eng),
• OASIS DREAM (champion 2 and 3yo colt in Eng, champion sprinter in Eur, Eng-I),
• DESERT LORD (champion older male in Fr,Fr-I),
• CAPE CROSS (champion older male in Eng, Eng-I),
• OWINGTON (champion 2yo colt in Ger, champion 3yo colt in Eur and Eng, Eng-I),
• TAMARISK (champion 3yo colt and sprinter in Eur, champion 3yo colt in Eng, Eng-I),
• WAQUAAS (champion sprinter in Sca),
• DESERT STYLE (champion 3yo colt in Eur and Ire),
• ABSURDE (champion 2yo filly in Fr),
• TROPICAL (champion in Eur in Ire),
• BINT ALLAYL (champion 2yo filly in Eur andEng),
• DESERT MAGIC (champion in Ire),
• DESERT TRACK (champion in Swi).

What I find interesting is the lack of interest in American Breeders to support a son of Green Desert here in the states. I believe Sheik Albadou was tried in KY, but reference to his statistics were not sought.

The grand-sire of Invincible  Spirit is the immortal DANZIG who has shown all attributes of being a sire that will remain on both top and bottom of juvenile winners for generations to come. Himself a good 2Yo, with injury preventing his training on. His name has been synonymous with precocity in all categories  for years.

When analyzing the pedigree on the female side of Invincible Spirit, his dam and grand-dam were both 2yo winners and runners of stakes quality  Multiple juvenile stakes winners can be found through the first three dams.His broodmare sire Kris won all four of his starts as a 2yo  and  has been a stalwart in the European sheds

Invincible Spirit descends in tail-female family to 7-a (Blacklegs Royall Mare) and traces back most notably to the great tap-root mare Gibside Fairy through the Emma  (Second dam of the first English Triple Crown Winner and influential sire West Australian) ) a line of very high quality producers and the branch responsible for the majority of family 7-a. This line is also responsible for Danzig. With Danzig as the grand-sire this makes Invincible Spirit  line bred perfectly in the 1st and 4th quarter with family 7-a. Upon a  viewing of his Pedigree Listing – Analysis – Invincible Spirit 1997 ,the majority of inbreeding comes from Hyperion with 4 occurrences and the immediate crosses of Rockefella (also from family 7-a) and Native Dancer. The most occurrences of any ancestor is in the form of the wonder mare Selene (dam of Hyperion) with six occurrences. We also find Selene’s half-brother Bosworth as the sixth dam broodmare sire thus making this a pedigree rich in Serenissima.  Selene herself was an outstanding 2yo winning 8 from 11 starts including the aforementioned Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. She was a truly one of the best of her time both on the turf and in the shed. It would probably be next to impossible to find a modern thoroughbred without her. It is noted that Invincible Spirit shares many of the same physical attributes of the great matriarch. Smaller stature, good bone, correct legs and a very racy hip.

When evaluating the sire record of Invincible Spirit is has become apparent that adding further strains of Hyperion through Northern Dancer and Native Dancer has shown tremendous results. Adding strains of Sir Gaylaord has also produced good results.

INVINCIBLE SPIRIT Has Sired( with Northern Dancer in- breedings) :

• VALE OF YORK, 07, c (A++, Halling, Sadler’s Wells, 4X4 Northern Dancer, 4X4 Sharpen Up)
• AGE OF CHIVALRY, 05, f (Night Shift, Alleged, 4X3 Northern Dancer)
• CAMPFIRE GLOW, 05, f (A+, Persian Bold, Be My Guest, 4X4 Northern Dancer
• HOORAY, 08, f (A++, Machiavellian, The Minstrel, 4X4 Northern Dancer)
• CONQUEST, 04, g (A++, Machiavellian, Nijinsky II, 4X4 Northern Dancer)
• MADAME TROP VITE, 06, f (A++, Waajib, Pentathlon, 4X4 Northern Dancer)
• OUR JONATHAN, 07, c (A++, Celtic Swing, Polish Precedent, 3X4 Danzig, 3X4 Kris)

From no Northern Dancer in-breedings:

• FLEETING SPIRIT, 05, f (A++, dam by Distant Relative, 2nd dam by Corvaro)
• LAWMAN, 04, c (A+, Gulch, Shirley Heights)
• ALLIED POWERS, 05, c (A++, High Line, Mr. Prospector)
• YOSEI, 07, f (A++, Fuji Kiseki, Rainbow Quest)
• CAPTAIN MARVELOUS, 04, c (Dolphin Street, Shirley Heights)
• ZEBEDEE, 08, c (Cozzene, Verbatim)
• I AM INVINCIBLE, 04, g (A, Canny Lad, Zoffany)

Invincible Spirit’s influence as a sire of sire’s has yet to be validated and his influence as a brood-mare sire is still in young mares with few runners to make the track yet.  His presence as a juvenile sire of record will be heralded until we get to number 43.

In a side note try a test mating with Zenyatta  DOSAGE – Test Mating, it is truly amazing.  After all without Ireland, we would have no Sting, no Sting , no Police, no album. Would Zenyatta been have then named after something by Herp Albert.