Jockey Rachel King declares promising three-year-old still on the way up

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained is racing in a rich vein of form with another all-the-way win at Randwick on Saturday.

Rachel King and Invincible Spy lead all-the-way at Randwick. Picture: Getty Images

Jockey Rachel King declared Invincible Spy still hadn’t reached his ceiling following the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt’s latest all-the-way success at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Invincible Spy showed the grit and determination that’s renown at Tulloch Lodge to score his fourth win at just his sixth start in the Wilson Asset Management Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m).

The son of I Am Invincible was a gutsy winner from out in front in the Wagga Guineas last start and produced a carbine copy of the performance to win again.

King was able to control the three-year-old event from the jump before getting her rivals chasing near the top of the straight.

A win to @RachelK11 as Wagga Guineas winner Invincible Spy is too good for them at Randwick, and an interstate double for the @GaiWaterhouse1-Bott stable!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/73N5TwEcVG

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 25, 2024

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Invincible Spy ($10) continued to tough it out late to win by a half-length from Chris Waller’s Concello ($13) with the same margin back to the John O’Shea-trained Ravello ($18) in third.

“I think he got a bit of confidence after last start and he really toughed it out today as well,“ King said.

“He had a decent weight on his back, up in distance over a tough Randwick 1800m but he saw it out well.”

King received a heroes welcome back to the winner’s stall with a large group of owners on hand to celebrate.

“I’ve won a Group One for some of the owners before, a lot of them were in Knights Order and Military Mission,“ she said.

“I think nearly every good winner I’ve had for Gai and Adrian, they’ve been in.”

Invincible Spy had been twice a winner over the mile before Saturday and had little worry stepping up in trip in his first crack at 1800m.

King was saw no reason why the colt couldn’t get over even more ground in time.

“Why not,” she said.

“The way he switched off, he is going to give himself a chance to.

“He has kept improving so I don’t think we’ve seen the ceiling yet.

“He is a slow learner, he wasn’t the sharpest early days but he has improved a lot and the way Gai and Adrian train them, they are so fit and so tough.

“I don’t see why he won’t keep going on with it from here and who knows how far he will get.”

Invincible Spy goes all the way to take out the MTC Guineas at Wagga! @[e-mail]/ejaJAYaqt7

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2024

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Invincible Spy was taking on several contenders for the Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks but won’t feature in the former of those races himself.

He was one of the few horses in Saturday’s race that wasn’t nominated for those Group 1 three-year-old events in Queensland with the Derby to take place in seven days time.

Runner-up Concello looks to have earned her chance to travel to Queensland for the Oaks after hitting the line strongly in the 1800m assignment.

Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth was rapt with the display with Concello now likely to have her second crack at a Group 1 after finishing 14th in the Australasian Oaks last month.

“She has done a good job coming all the way back from Adelaide to here,” he said.

“We’ve just got to make a decision whether we push on and then send her up north and go for an Oaks, because Rory (Hutchings) was pretty bullish she doesn’t give any indication she has come to the end of it.

“I’d say we will have to venture up because ultimately, they’re only three once and she is looking for distance. She’s got enough prizemoney to get in, it’s hard enough to get to the races, time-wise it works out perfectly.”

Waller is set to have a strong hand in the Oaks with Scarlet Oak and Mare Of Mt Buller running one-two in the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben.

Meanwhile, Oaks ambitions of promising fillies Piggyback and Bestower were dealt a knockout blow after both finished just outside the placings in Sydney.

The Ciaron Maher-trained Piggyback was a $3.40 favourite made her move on the turn in the three-wide line but failed to finish off while Bestower was caught deep throughout.

Originally published as Jockey Rachel King declares promising three-year-old still on the way up