3 minute read

I Am Invincible colt to be transferred from Chris Waller to Bjorn Baker.

Caballus will continue his career in the Darby Racing colours after the top New South Wales syndicator on Wednesday won the battle for the I Am Invincible colt at the Inglis Digital October (Early) Sale.

Darby Racing went to $315,000 for the three-year-old, who was a $1 million yearling who was moved on from the Chris Waller yard after five starts for a win and a third placing.

Scott Darby said he knew the horse well even before he was put on the market.

"He's lightly-raced and in the race he won at Randwick we actually had a horse in it that we really liked and Estriella finished second that day for Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace so we spoke to them this week and they think she's a Group 1 horse, so we were more than prepared to go strong on Caballus,'' Darby said.

"He was a $1 million yearling with really good form, vetted out nicely and he's a horse we know can gallop and at the very least is Saturday Metropolitan level, so I think he's a great addition to our team.

"He'll go to Bjorn Baker to be trained, we'll give him a little break then get him back and work him through his grades and then target something decent with him.''

Caballus was formerly owned by a group including Coolmore, who also offered the second highest-priced lot of the sale – Snitzel gelding Fightertown, who sold to Hong Kong's Cordoba Bloodstock for $150,000.

That was the same amount Dean Harvey paid for Western Empire on behalf of a client.

A six-year-old son of Iffraaj, Western Empire won seven of 20 starts for Bob Peters, including the Group 1 Railway Stakes and Group 2 WA Derby.

"He's a high-class racehorse, I'll get him back to my farm and work out a trainer then but there's every chance he could head back to Western Australia,'' Harvey said.

"He's a horse with still so much upside. If we can get him back to the form where he won seven of eight starts including the WA Derby and Railway Stakes, then he's got plenty of wins left in him.''

The  October (Early) Sale grossed $2,139,550, with a clearance rate of 82%.

Entries are now open for the Inglis Digital October (Late) Sale, which will run from October 20-25, with the deadline for nominations midnight next Wednesday, October 18.