Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography
A couple of I Am Invincibles are set to turn heads both on and off the track at the 2025 Magic Millions – a filly who was born about as close to the perfect specimen as you could imagine, and her full-brother with very similar traits.
Hi Barbie (I Am Invincible) might be equal-fourth on the line of betting for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Aquis Racecourse on January 11, but her $11 winning odds look like good value after her incredible debut.
That was when she impressed the racing world with a 1l win in the $200,000 Listed Phelan Ready Plate at Doomben on November 30, comfortably kicking clear inside the final 100 metres in Heavy 10 conditions to salute for champion Queensland trainer, Tony Gollan.
Yarraman Park Stud staff and connections might have another reason to party on the Glitter Strip if – as expected – Hi Barbie’s full brother out of Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom) attracts attention and a decent selling price at Lot 755 as part of the Yearling Sale on January 10.
Hi Barbie was Outback Barbie’s first runner, and Gollan also oversaw her dam’s excellent on-track career with five victories and $1,593,242 in total prizemoney, including a salute in the 2020 Magic Millions Handicap.
Outback Barbie when racing | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
This was the reason Gollan Racing and Jennifer Acton were willing to spend $1.2 million on Hi Barbie, a 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate presented by Yarraman Park Stud.
And it was this pedigree which produced the good-looking and gifted Hi Barbie, with Yarraman Park Stud General Manager Matt Scown instantly blown away with her physical and mental character traits.
“It’s not everyday a foal is born and they’re born magnificent. They usually warm into it, and they improve and develop,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.
“But she was born magnificent, and she’s continued to progress. I guess that was where the seven-figure price tag came from at the sales.
“It’s not everyday a foal is born and they’re born magnificent. But she (Hi Barbie) was born magnificent, and she’s continued to progress.” - Matt Scown
“She was the most inspected horse at our draft by a fair margin. She clearly caught the eye of everyone at that sale.
“She was faultless from Day 1, and she kept developing accordingly. Being a ‘Vinnie’ out of a very serious race mare, we were really excited with her.”
Adding to that excitement is the fact that Hi Barbie is only tipped to get better as she matures, which is a typical trait of I Am Invincible progeny.
Hi Barbie as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It was good that she had a pre-Christmas stakes win, and she’ll go on to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic,” Scown said.
“And I think she’s just going to get better with age, like her mother did and like I Am Invincible progeny do.”
Meanwhile, Scown said Yarraman Park Stud’s Lot 755 had the potential to start his racing career in similar fashion to his full sister, who Gollan said has already shown him a great deal more than her dam following her classy victory on debut.
Lot 755 - I Am Invincible x Outback Barbie (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“That (for Lot 755 to begin his on-track career as well as Hi Barbie) is the dream. I’d love him to start as well as Hi Barbie, but he’s a beautiful horse,” Scown said.
“He’s a very athletic horse with a quality head and very similar mannerisms to the filly.
“He’s just a real athlete. I think people are going to be big fans of his at the sale.”
“He’s (Lot 755) just a real athlete. I think people are going to be big fans of his at the (Magic Millions Gold Coast) sale.” - Matt Scown
Scown said Hi Barbie – with looks befitting her name – would be “cherry-ripe” and hard to beat in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
“She’s obviously being handled beautifully by Tony and his team at the stable, and I think they’ll have her absolutely cherry-ripe,” he said. “On the day it’s not going to be a walkover – there are some really talented horses in the race. But I wouldn’t be shocked if she’s on the first line of betting in the market.
“I think her natural ability is going to really stand out in that race.”
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park
The sire of Hi Barbie and Lot 755 for the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, I Am Invincible, carries a $275,000 stallion fee (inc GST).
He earned the title of Champion Sire for three consecutive seasons (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), becoming only the third sire this century to accomplish this feat.
Hi Barbie not just a pretty face
Two things stood out to Scown after he watched Hi Barbie’s debut victory – her ability to adapt to Heavy 10 conditions, and her abundant natural talent which she inherited from her dam.
“We were over the moon. It was a huge win, especially on the surface that she was running on,” he said.
“Vinnies naturally aren’t as explosive on a Heavy surface, but she was incredible.
“Even listening to Tony’s post-race report where he mentioned that he was a little bit nervous running her on that surface, but her ability and the work she showed him was really high class.
“Vinnies naturally aren’t as explosive on a Heavy surface, but she (Hi Barbie) was incredible... her ability and the work she showed him (Tony Gollan) was really high class.” - Matt Scown
“And to be able to compare her to her mother, and even probably be a bit better than her mother, was really awesome.
“It was great for the ownership group and great for the stable.”
I Am Invincibles live up to names
Another promising I Am Invincible graduate from the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – Invincible Woman – showed that buyers can find quality at affordable price after saluting at Caulfield on Saturday.
On debut, the 2-year-old filly was a comfortable 2.8l winner in the $250,000 Magic Millions Victoria 2YO Classic, kicking clear of her opponents past the turn for home in the 1100-metre feature for trainers Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans.
Invincible Woman winning the Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
As a result, Invincible Woman is the equal-second favourite for the 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, paying $8 to win.
She was purchased for $250,000 by Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA)/Race With Li from Widden Stud as Lot 188.
“It was a sensational win. I was rapt for Lloyd and Lucy – she wasn’t an expensive horse at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale,” Scown said. “And she’s proven to be very talented. She’ll do well in the betting, I would imagine for the Magic Millions, and deservedly so.
“I think she’s really promising. We’re really excited to see her go up there.
“...she’s (Invincible Woman) proven to be very talented. I think she’s really promising. We’re really excited to see her go up there (Gold Coast).” - Matt Scown
“And it just shows, if you do your homework at that sale, you can get these proven horses for really good value.
“I think it’s really important that horses both at the cheaper end like she was, and the higher end like Hi Barbie, achieve at the elite level.
“That’s because it shows you that they can come out of anywhere.”
Matt Scown | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Bauhinia heaven-sent by Hellbent
Hellbent is another Yarraman Park Stud stallion by I Am Invincible who is firing at the moment. He has produced six stakes winners from 270 runners and stands at $38,500 (inc GST).
His 3-year-old filly Bauhinia won the $150,000 Magic Millions Wyong 3YO & 4YO S. by 0.4l last Wednesday, despite being in last place at the turn for home in the 1200-metre sprint.
Bauhinia is a 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate for Yarraman Park Stud and was purchased for $300,000 by Mystery Downs.
Bauhinia winning the Magic Millions Wyong S. | Image courtesy of Wyong Racing Club
She is the $7.50 favourite for the 2025 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas set for January 11.
“We were over the moon with that win at Wyong. She had no right to win that race. She was sensational and she actually blew us away,” Scown said.
“She’s another filly who is going to represent the farm and the stallion really well up at the Gold Coast.
“Listening to her trainers (Lee and Cherie Curtis), I think she’s fairly untapped. I think we’re about to see the best of her.
“She’s (Bauhinia) another filly who is going to represent the farm (Yarraman Park) and the stallion (Hellbent) really well up at the Gold Coast.” - Matt Scown
“It’s really exciting moving forward.”
Buyers are all set to go away happy with Home Affairs progeny
Another star son by resident Yarraman Park Stud stallion I Am Invincible, Home Affairs, is set to be a big hit at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He will be the most represented sire at the sale – quite remarkable for a first-season sire – and all of his yearlings are in Book 1.
“We really liked him as a racehorse. We thought he was incredibly talented, and he went on to prove that at the highest level,” Scown said.
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore
“We loved him physically. He mated well with a lot of our mares. We’re over the moon with the progeny that we’ve got on the farm and going to the Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
“He was supported by Coolmore and partners, and outside farms with some really top-class mares.
“I think he’s a really exciting stallion to follow going forward, and I can’t wait to see the 2-year-olds at the track.”
“I think he’s (Home Affairs) a really exciting stallion to follow going forward, and I can’t wait to see the 2-year-olds at the track.” - Matt Scown
Secret behind stallion success
Scown said Yarraman Park’s three star stallions – I Am Invincible, Brave Smash and Hellbent – were continually well served by outstanding broodmares.
He added that Group 1-winning mare Odeum’s (Written Tycoon) progeny by I Am Invincible will attract no shortage of attention in the coming years, starting with a colt, Lot 741 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“We’ve got the I Am Invincible first foal out of Odeum going to the sale,” he said. “She was a sensational race mare. Her first foals were really classy. Her second foals are incredibly good-looking, and she’s in foal again.
Lot 741 - I Am Invincible x Odeum (Colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We’ve got a great run of mares here who are having top-class foals. I think that’s a big part of it.
“We’ve got some really good clients with really nice mares and progeny coming through.
“So we’re really excited moving forward. We’re lucky to have these horses around us.”
