Tiz Invincible was crowned the 2023 Darley Princess Series winner at Royal Randwick on Saturday, 30 September despite improving filly Tropical Squall giving co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott their third win in the G1 Flight Stakes (1,600m) and rewarding her breeder, Kooringal Stud, a nomination to World Champion Sprinter, Bivouac.
The Flight was the fourth and final leg of the prestigious Darley Princess Series at set weights for three-year-old fillies conducted at Royal Randwick this spring with not only four nominations to four elite Darley stallions rewarded to each winning filly's breeder but also, the implementation to insert the breeder back into raceday and present a winning breeder's trophy alongside the trainer, owners and jockeys.
The series began in 1985 and has been won by fillies the calibre of Sunline, Angst, Samantha Miss, Streama, Speak Fondly, Guelph and Alizee.
The first leg this year - the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1,200m) - was won by Autumn Ballet, who rewarded her breeder, Arrowfield Pastoral, with a nomination to first-season Darley sire Paulele.
Tiz Invincible, bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, claimed the series by winning the second and third legs - the G2 Furious Stakes (1,200m) and G2 Tea Rose Stakes (1,400m) - rewarding her breeder for her wins nominations to Victor Ludorum and Ghaiyyath.
In contrast, Tropical Squall, having just her fourth race start, enjoyed a beautiful run under jockey Adam Hyeronimus to lead all the way.
The filly kicked strongly in the home straight to hold off Kimochi by three-quarters of a length with Tutta La Vita another 1.25 lengths away in third place, clocking a fast 1 minute 33.91 seconds into a strong head wind.
“She’s been crying out for the mile,” a jubilant Bott said after Tropical Squall joined Global Glamour (2016) and Never Been Kissed (2021) as Flight winners for he and Waterhouse.
“I was really confident coming here today, if we could make it a nice test for them and try and draw a bit of the speed and brilliance out of those others, because we know she was prepped for this and ready.
Godolphin Australia's Managing Director Vin Cox said Darley was committed to the Princess Series concept and he was delighted to offer Kooringal a nomination to former elite sprinter Bivouac.
“The series was hugely competitive again this year with wonderful fillies competing for Black Type,” Cox said.
“At the end of the day, it’s the fundamentals of racing around Black Type - Listed, Group and particularly G1 level.
“For us to engage with our clients and friends and, be able to offer them nominations to some of our elite stallions, is a fantastic opportunity for us.
“In a serendipitous way, the champion filly Tiz Invincible is very closely related to Anamoe - so there’s a lot of synergies in what we are doing.”
Tiz Invincible’s mother, Amuletum, is out of Animato - the dam of Godolphin’s recently retired champion galloper Anamoe.
19 August 2023 | G2 Darley Silver Shadow Stakes - won by Autumn Ballet and bred by Arrowfield, who received a nomination to PAULELE.
2 September 2023 | G2 Darley Furious Stakes - won by Tiz Invincible and bred by Phoenix Thoroughbred (11) Pty, who received a nomination to VICTOR LUDORUM.
16 September 2023 | G2 Darley Tea Rose Stakes - won by Tiz Invincible and bred by Phoenix Thoroughbred (11) Pty, who received a nomination to GHAIYYATH.
30 September 2023 | G1 Darley Flight Stakes - won by Tropicall Squall and bred by Kooringal Stud, who received a nomination to BIVOUAC.
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That was a blitz by TROPICAL SQUALL (Prized Icon x Squalls) and Adam Hyeronimus in the Group 1 @DarleyStallions DARLEY FLIGHT STAKES (1600 METRES) for @GaiWaterhouse1 and Adrian ! She's so like her sire ! pic.twitter.com/UzNaGGQ9rZ
— TURFSTARS Media (@LisaGrimm9) September 30, 2023
The grand final @darleyaus Princess Series comes to a head for the G1 Darley Flight Stakes – crowning this season’s most talented 3YO filly.
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) September 29, 2023
The breeder of the G1 Darley Flight Stakes winning filly receives a stallion nomination to Champion Sprinter, #Bivouac (#ExceedAndExcel). pic.twitter.com/habaoM2ZK8
