Invincible Spirit (Ire), the sire of 22 individual Group 1 winners worldwide, has been retired from covering duties, the Irish National Stud announced on Wednesday.
Now 27, Invincible Spirit was a fixture on the Irish National Stud roster of stallions for 22 consecutive seasons, starting in 2003 after his breakthrough Group 1 victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock the previous autumn. As a racehorse he won seven of his 17 starts for trainer John Dunlop and owner-breeder Prince Faisal, with his other wins including the Duke Of York Stakes when it was run as a Group 3.
The son of Green Desert was introduced at a fee of €10,000 and over time developed into one of the most influential sires of his era.
In a statement, the Irish National Stud said, “He [Invincible Spirit] quickly demonstrated his ability to produce fast durable racehorses landing the freshman sires title in 2006, earning him a fee hike to €35,000 for the 2007 breeding season. His first Classic winner duly followed with Lawman winning the Group 1 French Derby, cementing his position among Europe's elite stallions.
“Group 1 winners Fleeting Spirit, Mayson and six-time Group 1 winner Moonlight Cloud soon followed but it was Kingman who pushed him into the upper echelons of the stallion ranks. His win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas marked a first British/Irish Classic winner for Invincible Spirit as a sire and his fee increased to €100,000 for the 2015 breeding season.
“Following four consecutive years of commanding a stud fee of €120,000 and a first British classic success with his son Magna Grecia winning the English 2,000 Guineas, he has stood the last two breeding seasons at a private fee.”
The statement continued, “Invincible Spirit's claim as a sire of sires is demonstrated through the success of his son Kingman in the Northern Hemisphere and Champion Australian sire I Am Invincible in the Southern Hemisphere.
“In later years he has become a broodmare sire of note with his daughters producing top class racehorses including Breeders' Cup winner Victoria Road, Classic winner Notable Speech as well as Group 1 winners and performers Desert Encounter and Flotus. He leaves an indelible mark not just on the Irish National Stud but on the entire breed.”
Irish National Stud CEO Cathal Beale added, “It has been a great privilege for all of us at Tully to have been here during the reign of Invincible Spirit. He has been, unquestionably, the greatest stallion to have ever stood at the Irish National Stud. We are delighted to be able to retire him now on his own terms. He will 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. He retires as a living legend.”
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