Invincible Army Records First Success With Love Billy Boy
First-crop sire Invincible Army recorded his first racecourse success on Sunday getting off the mark with only his second runner, Love Billy Boy, who scored comfortably in the 5f EBF Novice Stakes at Musselburgh. The ball rolled yesterday for the Gr.2 Duke of York Stakes winner and son of Invincible Spirit, who is standing for a fee of €7,500 this year. His only other runner so far is the Kieran Cotter trained Sturlasson who has filled the runner-up position twice on his first two starts while the winner at Musselburgh yesterday was making his debut for Richard Hannon.
Love Billy Boy jumped well and raced in second, despite being carried right soon after the start, he travelled smoothly into the lead with over a furlong to go and was last off the bridle. He pulled clear of the field with Moonstone Boy in tow and won being eased down. The colt was a homebred, and he was a £90,000 purchase from the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock. He comes from a precocious family, as his dam, grandam and great-grandam all won at two and he is out of a full-sister to the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up and Gr.2-placed Areen, who also won as a juvenile.
Invincible Army was a high-class juvenile, successful in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes for James Tate and Saeed Manana, and finished second in the Gimcrack, Mill Reef and Molecomb Stakes. He carried that speed and ability over two further seasons, winning the Pavilion Stakes and coming second in the Sandy Lane at three. As a four-year-old he won the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes and the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes and was third to Fairyland in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh. His final start saw him finish fourth in the Gr.1 Prix de l’Abbaye behind Glass Slippers. The eight-year-old had 57 yearlings sold at auction last year for an average price of €57,680.
Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock out of the Falmouth Stakes winner Rajeem by Diktat, he is a full-brother to Listed-winning sprinter New York City. His second dam, Hoh Magic, is a Cadeaux Genereux full-sister to the Prix Morny and Molecomb winner Hoh Magic.
