Wishful Thinker becomes stallion’s first stakes winner in Hong Kong
The Yarraman Park Stud-based stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) sired his 58th stakes winner on Sunday as his son Wishful Thinker (7 g ex Zebithea by Barathea) prevailed in a close finish to win the Premier Bowl Handicap (Gr 2, 1200m) at Sha Tin.
The Dennis Yip-trained seven-year-old raced in Australia as Katsuro and won twice when trained by Mick Price and he showed a blistering turn of foot to beat last start National Day Cup (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Computer Patch (Exceed And Excel) by a nose, clinching victory in the shadow of the winning post. Rattan (Savabeel) was another two and a quarter lengths further away in third.
Winning jockey Derek Leung said the blinkers coming off was key to the gelding’s victory on Sunday.
“We took the blinkers off and kept him fresh for today. He was more relaxed today, tried hard and raced very good,” said Leung. “Last time [in the National Day Cup] he was bumped at the beginning and then we tried to chase the winner and he got a bit keen.
“This time he raced much better with the blinkers off and last time he carried top weight and this time he carried the low weight. The weight helped him a lot and the pace was good which suited the horses coming from behind.”
The gelding is out of the three time-winning mare Zebithea (Barathea), who was purchased by Somme Lodge for $9,000 at the 2013 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when carrying the gelding in utero. Wishful Thinker himself was purchased by Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock for $80,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions March Yearling Sale from the JD Thoroughbreds draft.
Wishful Thinker is one of eight winners out of Zebithea, while further back this is same family as Group 2-placed Darling Order (Indian Order) and she is the dam of Group 3-winning duo Master McGinty (McGinty) and Starstruck (Straight Strike). Listed-winning pair Royal Sonata (Royal Academy) and Frenzy Fox (Primus) also feature on the page.
Wishful Thinker becomes the first stakes winner for I Am Invincible in Hong Kong and he stands at Yarraman Park Stud for a fee of $209,000 (inc GST).
