Invincible Spirit (foaled 17 February 1997) is an Irish-bred, British-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. As a two-year-old, he won two out of his four races, but as a three-year-old, he only raced twice and was unsuccessful on both occasions. In 2001, he achieved two victories, one of which was his first

Group race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomp ...

win in the MacDonagh Boland Stakes. He won the

Duke of York Stakes Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

in 2002, and the Group 1

Haydock Sprint Cup The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), a ...

at the end of that year. Following his retirement from racing, he emerged as one of Ireland's prominent stallions, siring notable progeny such as Fleeting Spirit, Kingman, Charm Spirit, Lawman, Mayson and Moonlight Cloud. Invincible Spirit was trained by John Dunlop and owned by Prince A. A. Faisal.

Background

Invincible Spirit is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

horse bred by Nawara Stud and foaled on 17 February 1997. He was sired by Green Desert, a sprinter who achieved victories in the

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 me ...

and

in 1986. Following his racing career, Green Desert became a highly successful stallion, producing numerous top horses including

Cape Cross Cape Cross (Afrikaans: ''Kaap Kruis''; German: ''Kreuzkap''; Portuguese: ''Cabo da Cruz'') is a headland in the South Atlantic in Skeleton Coast, western Namibia. History In 1484, Portuguese navigator and explorer Diogo Cão was ordered by ...

, Desert Prince,

Oasis Dream Oasis Dream (foaled 30 March 2000) is retired thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He was the highest-rated two-year-old in the 2002 European flat racing season and won the Cartier Racing Award f ...

Owington Owington (6 February 1991 – 12 August 1996) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire. He showed very good form as a juvenile, winning the Moët & Chandon Rennen in Germany and finishing a close second in the Middle Park Stak ...

and

Sheikh Albadou Sheikh Albadou (15 April 1988 – 1999), was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. In a racing career which lasted from October 1990 until October 1992 he ran fifteen times and won six races. Sheik ...

. Invincible Spirit's dam was Rafha, a daughter of

Kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...

. Rafha, also owned by Prince Faisal, secured a win in the

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is one of the most important and prestigious Group 1 horse races in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at C ...

in 1990. Invincible Spirit was trained by John Dunlop.

Racing career

1999: Two-year-old season

Invincible Spirit made his racecourse debut on 11 July 1999 in a six-

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. The racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows ...

. Despite a slow start, he finished the race in third place, behind the winner Trouble Mountain and the second-placed Shinbone Alley. Seventeen days later, he participated in another maiden race at Goodwood. Starting as the

favourite A favourite was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In Post-classical Europe, post-classical and Early modern Europe, early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated signifi ...

, he positioned himself towards the rear initially but made a strong move through the field to take the lead with one furlong remaining. He pulled away to secure victory by one and a half lengths over Break The Code. On 30 August, Invincible Spirit competed in the Ripon Champion Two Years Old Trophy, a

Listed race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triom ...

over six furlongs. He started as the 5/6 favourite and was ridden by

Mick Kinane Michael J. Kinane (born 22 June 1959) is an Irish former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009. A prolific winner of the Irish, English and French Classic races over two decades, Kinane h ...

. Five furlongs into the race, Invincible Spirit quickened to lead the race and pulled away to win by one and a half lengths from Khasayl, with Femme Fatale a further three and a half lengths back in third place. Invincible Spirit's last race as a two-year-old was the Group 1

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it i ...

. Jockey Richard Quinn held him up, but could not get him to settle early in the race. Invincible Spirit did make some progress in the penultimate furlong, but finished last of the six runners, about four and three quarter lengths behind winner Primo Valentino.

2000: Three-year-old season

Invincible Spirit did not race as a three-year-old until 16 September 2000, in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury. He was ridden for the first time by

Pat Eddery Patrick James John Eddery (18 March 1952 – 10 November 2015) was an Irish flat racing jockey and trainer. He rode three winners of the Derby and was Champion Jockey on eleven occasions. He rode the winners of 4,632 British flat races, a f ...

, and after being at the rear of the field he could not get a clear run through in the home straight, finishing in fourth place behind winner Warningford. His only other race that year was the Challenge Stakes, where he finished sixth of the nine runners behind winner Last Resort.

2001: Four-year-old season

Invincible Spirit started the 2001 season on 4 May, in the Leicestershire Stakes, where he could not reach the leaders and finished fourth behind Warningford. Invincible Spirit then dropped in class for a six-furlong

Conditions race Conditions races are horse races in which the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the ...

at Goodwood. After racing in the middle of the pack, he made progress two furlongs out, before taking the lead as the field entered the final furlong. He went on to win the race by three quarters of a length from Kier Park after being eased up by Pat Eddery in the last 50 yards. Invincible Spirit then went to

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...

for the

Cork and Orrery Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. Three-year-olds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere are also eligible. It i ...

, where after challenging the leaders over one furlong out, he faded in the final furlong and finished in ninth place. Harmonic Way won the race, beating runner-up Three Points by one length. On 21 July, Invincible Spirit started as the 3/1 favourite for the Hackwood Stakes, where he faced seven opponents. Eddery held him up as usual, before closing on the leaders over two furlongs out and taking the lead with a furlong still to run. After taking the lead he drifted to the right, but kept on to win a one and a half lengths from Mugharreb, with Bouncing Bowdler a further length back in third place. On 26 August, Invincible Spirit raced outside the United Kingdom for the first time, when he contested the

Prix de Meautry The Prix de Meautry is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is schedule ...

. He took second place with 200 metres left to run, but could not catch the leader, Do The Honours, who won easily by three lengths. Hot Tin Roof finished in third place, one and a half lengths behind Invincible Spirit. Invincible Spirit's final race start as a four-year-old came in the MacDonagh Boland Stakes, which took place on 15 September. He raced near the fore of the field in the early stages and was fourth with over one furlong still to run. He took second place inside the final furlong, before just taking the lead on the line to win the race by a short-head from Toroca, with the front two three lengths clear of third placed Anna Elise.

2002: Five-year-old season

Invincible Spirit started his five-year-old season by finishing fourth in the Abernant Stakes, a race that was won by Reel Buddy. After being held up, Invincible Spirit could not get a clear run until the final furlong, when he ran on finishing two lengths behind the winner. In the

he was ridden for the first and only time by

. After starting as the 3/1 favourite, Kinane positioned him just behind the leaders in the early stages of the race. In a close finish, Invincible Spirit took the lead with about 75 yards left to run and won the race by a neck from Mugharreb, with Lady Dominatrix third and Orientor fourth. On 3 June he raced over the minimum distance of five furlongs for the only time in his career, when he took part in the Temple Stakes at

Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racin ...

. After tracking the leaders he was left behind when he could not get a clear run over one furlong out, before running on in the final furlong and finishing fifth, about four lengths behind winner Kyllachy. At Royal Ascot, Invincible Spirit raced in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (the renamed Cork and Orrery Stakes, which had been upgraded to a Group 1 race that year). He started the race at the price of 10/1, with

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

starting as the 3/1 favourite, and Three Points, Danehurst and

Continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...

also near the fore of the betting market. Invincible Spirit was slowly away and jockey

Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon (born 22 February 1965 in Crusheen, County Clare, Ireland) is a retired Irish professional flat racing jockey and was British flat racing Champion Jockey, British Champion Jockey six times. Care ...

lost an iron. He was up near the leaders with two furlongs remaining, but faded to finish in sixth place, about five lengths behind the winner. The race was won by Malhub, who beat second-placed Danehurst by one and a half lengths. Invincible Spirit's final race was the Sprint Cup at

, where he was ridden by John Carroll. Nayyir was the pre-race favourite at 9/2, with Invincible Spirit starting as a 25/1 outsider. Carroll positioned him near the front of the fourteen-runner field and was challenging for the lead as they entered the final furlong. He stayed on best in the closing stages and took the lead near the finishing line to win the race by a short-head from Malhub. Three Points finished in third place, two lengths behind the winner, and just ahead of Orientor and

May Ball A May Ball is a ball (dance), ball at the end of the academic term, academic year that takes place at any of the colleges of the University of Cambridge. They are elaborate and lavish formal affairs, requiring black tie or sometimes white tie, w ...

, who finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Stud career

After his retirement from racing, Invincible Spirit joined the stallion roster at the

Irish National Stud The Irish National Stud (official name: ''Comhlacht Graí Náisiúnta na hÉireann Teo.'') is a Thoroughbred horse breeding facility in Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland. It was formally established by incorporation on 11 April 19 ...

. His covering fee in his first season in 2003 was €10,000, increasing to €35,000 in 2006 when he earned the freshman sire's title. His fee rose to €100,000 in 2015, following Kingman's victory in the 2014

Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it ...

. Between 2003 and 2007, the stallion shuttled to Australia, where he sired 259 foals, including triple Group 1 winner Yosei and leading sire I Am Invincible. Invincible Spirit retired from stud in 2024, having sired 22 individual Group 1 winners worldwide. Cathal Beale, chief executive of the Irish National Stud, said: "He has been, unquestionably, the greatest stallion to have ever stood at the Irish National Stud. We're delighted to be able to retire him now on his own terms. He'll live out his days being looked after by the same people, being turned out every day to the same paddock and being given the same exceptional care."

Notable progeny

Group/Grade 1 winners: ''c = colt, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

Pedigree

''Note: b. =

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

, ch. =

Chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em 1997 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 7-a