Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained runner had begun his career with two 1200 metre races in July, finishing second at Moe and eighth at Caulfield. He stepped up to 1400 metres for his third career appearance on Saturday and took a giant leap forward, pouncing in the straight and charging clear to win by 2.75l.
Robrick (Invader) was bought by Ontrack Thoroughbreds for $220,000 from Valiant Stud’s draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Robrick has now earned $92,250 in stakes with the promise of more to come through the remainder of this season.
“That was fantastic,” Kent Jnr said after Saturday’s race. “With a bit of room on a big track, up in trip, blinkers on and a lovely ride by Damian Lane, he exceeded our expectations. It’s still his first preparation, so we will get him home and make a plan on Monday.”
Robrick as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Robrick’s performance made a favourable impression on Lane, who was having his first ride back in Australia following a stint in Japan.
“The horse has obviously taken good improvement from his first two runs, and the blinkers have helped switch him on also,” Lane said.
Robrick was bred by veterinarian Dr Richard McClenahan, who has previously made his mark on the big stage in Melbourne as the breeder of G1 William Reid S. winner Hellbent. That high-class son of I Am Invincible is now making a name for himself in a new role as a stallion at Yarraman Park.
“It was a very good performance by Robrick on Saturday and a fantastic way for him to get his first win on the board,” said McClenahan, who operates Mullaglass Stud in Scone in partnership with his wife Kim.
Robrick is the second foal out of the unraced mare Dorotea (Lope De Vega {Ire}), whose dam Readyor (More Than Ready {USA}) won the Listed Keith Mackay H. and is a granddaughter of the great Triscay (Marscay).
Both of Dorotea’s first two named foals have now been winners. Her first foal, Senorita Dorotea (Sooboog), was a $40,000 purchase from the 2020 Inglis Digital April Sale as a yearling. She has recorded three wins and five second placings from a 16-start career in Western Australia.
Richard and Kim McClenahan
“Dorotea is a mare that I bought online a number of years ago, before the digital sales really took off,” McClenahan said. “I bought her off another farm locally here in Scone. Her pedigree was what particularly caught my eye, and I’ve always liked Lope De Vega as a sire.
“Robrick was the result of her mating with Invader, who I thought would be a good match for her physically and would complement her nicely. I liked the cross with More Than Ready as well, and I was also a fan of Invader himself in his racing career.
“Robrick was a beautiful foal – our best foal physically that season, and one of the nicest we’ve bred in the last few years. He was a really nice, straightforward horse too and very easy to do anything with. He never looked likely to be an early 2-year-old type, but he had plenty of scope to develop into a really nice horse in time.”
“Robrick was a beautiful foal – our best foal physically that season, and one of the nicest we’ve bred in the last few years. He was a really nice, straightforward horse too and very easy to do anything with.” - Richard McClenahan
Dorotea later produced a colt by Anders, who was a $50,000 purchase by Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale earlier this year. The 10-year-old mare is currently in foal to Kia Ora’s Golden Slipper-winning stallion Farnan, whose oldest progeny are yearlings in 2023/24.
“The Anders colt was another lovely type that we took up to the Gold Coast to sell earlier in the year, we had quite a high opinion of him as well,” McClenahan said. “Now I’m really looking forward to seeing the Farnan foal when he arrives this spring.
“Further down the track, the mare is booked to go to Best Of Bordeaux next.”
Invader in high-flying form
Robrick’s bold performance at Flemington on Saturday continued a strong run of form for Aquis Farm stallion Invader, who will stand for a service fee of $11,000 (inc GST) in the upcoming season.
With his oldest progeny now 4-year-olds, the Snitzel stallion is the sire of 37 winners from 79 runners.
Invader has enjoyed a prolific run of form in recent weeks, siring 13 winners since the beginning of June alone. Within the last 10 days, his progeny have recorded no fewer than six wins – one each for Robrick, King Cornelius, Stenson Wallman and Coincide, while Invahir has scored back-to-back wins at Dubbo and Forbes on July 28 and June 6 respectively.
Invader | Standing at Aquis Farm
The obvious overall headline act so far among Invader’s progeny is his first-crop daughter Sunshine In Paris, who won last season’s G1 Surround S. and was runner-up in the G2 Light Fingers S.
Sunshine In Paris cost only $90,000 when she was offered as a 2-year-old at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale. Her hugely impressive 3-year-old campaign earned her a return to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale a year later, where she fetched $3.9 million.
