In Secret Romps in Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington

I Am Invincible  stamped his authority as a dominant supplier of elite-level sprinters with the stallion providing back-to-back winners of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1), as In Secret led home a quinella for the fillies, who upstaged their male counterparts.

Godolphin's 3-year-old filly proved imperious, as the royal blue silks notched yet another spring carnival major this season, while she followed Coolmore stallion Home Affairs as the second winner in as many years of the straight-track group 1 for champion sire I Am Invincible.

Victory for In Secret ($3.10), who had been pointed at the Flemington showpiece since finishing runner-up to Jacquinot in the Chandon Golden Rose (G1) more than a month ago, was commanding and arrogant in equal measure, as she pulverized her high-class rivals with an explosion of speed to win by two lengths, despite a less than smooth passage from when the gates crashed back.

"She got knocked down... had another horse laying in on her at the 450 (meter mark), but she's a much stronger filly than what she gets given credit for. I feel she's one of the best horses we've got on the farm," said James Cummings, who recalled the stable's near miss in the 2019 Coolmore Stud Stakes with Bivouac.

"She's just a weapon. She's put them away, drawing clear on the line, and you don't often see that in a set weights 3-year-old group 1 like this, in the Coolmore. This is like the Golden Slipper of the spring carnival for the 3-year-olds. It's a big achievement for our team to win it. 

"Just a special performance from a very good filly."

James McDonald, who was aboard Home Affairs a year ago when the colt produced a scintillating performance down the Flemington straight, reveled in the filly's brilliance. 

"There was a muck around at the start, when Economics had to come out again. It was a bit of a shambles really, we were in there a long time. She was on song and ready to go and then just jumped in the air," he said.

"I had to muster her to get a spot pretty quickly. For my winning chances it was very important to get her in that spot, albeit she's won by a margin. 

"She was ready to launch on Friday when she trialed up the straight. I had that much in hand (today), it wasn't funny. She was going so well and she loves the straight; she's the perfect straight-track horse, just jot her down for the Coolmore."

Outsider C'Est Magique who along with In Secret was one of four fillies in the 17-runner race, emerged from the trailing pack to finish second, while Buenos Noches, second to subsequent the Tab Everest winner Giga Kick last time out, proved best of the males in again producing a come-from-behind performance to finish third, a further length adrift.

In Secret was bred by Michael Christian's Saconi Thoroughbreds and Segenhoe Stud, who sold her at last year's Magic Millions sale.

She is the second named foal out of multiple stakes-winning 2-year-old Eloping, who herself finished sixth in the 2014 running of the Coolmore Stud Stakes behind I Am Invincible's first winner of the race, Brazen Beau . Eloping also has a 2-year-old filly by Trapeze Artist as well as a yearling filly by Snitzel  and dropped an I Am Invincible filly for 2022.