Yarraman Park has made the shocking decision to reduce the service fee of Australia's two-time reigning champion stallion and commercial gold mine, I Am Invincible, after 14 remarkable seasons at stud based in the Hunter Valley.
Brothers Arthur and Harry Mitchell, the joint principals of Yarraman Park, will stand I Am Invincible at AU$275,000 (US$180,500), down from his 2023 peak of AU$302,500, in spite of another standout season on the racetrack and in the sales ring.
I Am Invincible's son Hellbent, the sire of this season's Sir Rupert Clarke (G1) and All Aged Stakes (G1) winner Magic Time, will maintain his 2023 service fee of $38,500 as he pushes toward a top 10 position on the Australian general sires' table, the highest-placed third season stallion on the premiership.
Their roster mate Brave Smash, who relocated to Yarraman last year after the Mitchells and partners bought a controlling interest in the sire from Aquis Farm, also remains at an unchanged fee of $33,000 with his first crop. It includes group 2 winner and multiple group 1-placed filly Kimochi, soon to turn 4.
A runaway premiership leader as he charges toward his third straight champion sires' title, the Yarraman Park kingpin I Am Invincible, a son of Invincible Spirit—Cannarelle, by Canny Lad, is just AU$200,000 shy of Snitzel's all-time progeny earnings record of $29,243,613—achieved in season 2017-18, the year of the first of Redzel's back-to-back Everest (1,200m) victories—as the Mitchells announce their fees for their trio of sires with three months of the racing season still to run.
This season has also seen I Am Invincible break new ground, siring his first 2-year-old group 1 winner, with highly promising Te Akau-owned colt Move To Strike taking out the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (G1) in New Zealand while stablemate Imperatriz has shown her wares in Australia, winning the AJ Moir Stakes (G1), the Manikato Stakes (G1), Champions Sprint (G1), the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1), and William Reid Stakes (G1) this season, taking her record to a stunning 10 group 1 wins.
Arthur Mitchell said "we didn't need to bring it back, but we thought we would" of I Am Invincible's 2024 fee.
"He's still got the numbers around him to keep him ticking over ... and we thought AU$250,000 [plus GST] was pretty fair," Mitchell told ANZ Bloodstock News.
"The interesting thing is, and I didn't really take much notice of it, but he was runner-up four times before he won his first [champion sires' title] and he got beaten twice I think on prize money when Redzel won The Everest. So, I think he's doing a pretty amazing job.
"We won't be overtaxing him, but we'd like to keep him working away consistently without pushing him too hard.
"He looks like a 12- or 14-year-old, that's what he looks like, so he still looks fabulous."
Rising 20-year-old I Am Invincible covered 157 mares last year, his 14th season at stud at a career-high fee. He has sired 16 stakes winners this season.
