By Tayla Dyke

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Co-trainers Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans will bid for stakes success at opposite ends of the country on Saturday, with representatives at both Flemington and the Sunshine Coast.

Their first chance is the in-form Madame Maserati (I Am Invincible) who will chase a fourth straight win when she tackles the Creswick Sprint Series Final (Listed, 1200m) at Flemington.

The three-year-old has progressed through the grades this campaign, posting back-to-back Benchmark 64 wins, over 1103 metres at Kyneton and 1000 metres at Pakenham, and was most recently seen taking out a heat of the sprint series at Flemington on May 17. Following that victory, the filly was freshened with a view to Saturday’s $175,000 Listed-level contest.

Regular rider Logan Bates retains the ride and off the back of a freshen up and a jump out win, Yeomans believes that with the right conditions Madame Maserati is capable of securing an all-important black-type victory.

“She’s great,” Yeomans told ANZ News. “Once she won that heat we decided to target the final. We had the option of giving her a run in between, we had time, I think it was six or seven weeks in between, but we just selected to keep her confidence up and just trial her in between. 

“She trialled up really nicely, to be honest I couldn’t fault her. She probably looks the best she’s looked. She had a nice, on the bridle gallop on Tuesday with Logan Bates aboard, he knows her very well and gave her a glowing report.

“It’s obviously the toughest race she’s been in, there’s a couple of nice fillies in it, but I think it’s come down to about an eight horse field now and she has drawn well. 

“She’s going to have to produce a career best, but we do think she has improved. The wetter, the better for her, so if it stays in a soft range, that’ll only enhance her chances. The goal is to run top three. Obviously, we’re trying to win, but if she could run top three, that’d be super.” 

Should the filly win the race, Yeomans said a potential trip to Adelaide for the Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1050m) at Morphettville on July 26 could be on the cards. 

“If she were to run very well and we were happy with her, she could probably go to the two and three-year-old Lightning Stakes in three weeks’ time in Adelaide. We will obviously be guided by her, but she’s going really well and you don’t like putting those fillies that are in good form in the paddock. 

“Saturday is her grand final, but she has options after that if she’s going well. We’ve well and truly set for [Saturday], but she’s really tough and you know, she’s not going to be a three year old for much longer, so it just makes sense to try and have another bite of the apple when it’s there.”

Bred by Sun Bloodstock, the daughter of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) was purchased by the Kennewell and Yeomans team with Group 1 Bloodstock and Matt Houldsworth for a modest $70,000 from Widden Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, and has already amassed $148,875 in career earnings.

Despite coming from a black-type family, out of Geelong Black Pearl Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Smart Coupe (Smart Missile) and from the family of three-time Group 1-winner Spirit Of Kingston (Bletchingly), Madame Maserati was purchased for a bargain price due to minor x-ray issues. 

With yearlings by I Am Invincible averaging $520,850 in 2025 and having sold up to $3 million in recent years, Kennewell may have found his niche, bargain hunting for the lesser-wanted progeny the Yarraman Park flagbearer. 

Taking the risk on Vinnie’s progeny has paid off for Kennewell in the past, having purchased Group 1 placegetter and recently announced Oaklands Stud stallion I Am Unstoppable for a mere $65,000, and Group 1 winner Viddora (I Am Invincible) for $40,000 back in 2014. 

“Lloyd’s very good at [picking I Am Invincible’s], he obviously had great success with Viddora before I came along, and then I Am Unstoppable was just getting going once I joined the team,” Yeomans said.

“We’ve had a few I Am Invincibles and I believe pretty much all of them would have at least won a race. Lloyd just knows the breed so well and obviously they’re still all different, but often they can be quite similar. 

“Madame Maserati, she’s quite incorrect from the knees down. She’s got quite wonky legs, and she did take a bit of managing as an early two-year-old. We thought we were going to get her to the races quite early, but she just kept feeling her legs and we had to be quite patient. But as she’s gotten older, she’s just battleheartened, she’s really tough and now she’s quite straightforward to train.”

 “I worked with some nice Vinnies at Ciaron’s as well, Loving Gaby and some horses like that. They are all different, but Lloyd’s just really keen to take a punt on one. If he likes it as a physical, when they’re a little incorrect on x-rays or physically a little incorrect, he has faith in the breed, so it gives him faith to jump in and purchase horses that possibly everyone else is happy to pass on.” 

The stable’s only other runner for Saturday will be at the top end of the country, with honest mare Fortunate Kiss (Divine Prophet) set to line up in the Glasshouse Handicap (Listed, 1400m) at Sunshine Coast.

The six-year-old has had two starts in Queensland this preparation, the most recent a luckless third placing in the Eye Liner Stakes (Listed, 1350m) at Ipswich, and Yeomans believes the mare is thriving in the sunshine state. 

“She’s great. She’s been up in Queensland with Ross O’Sullivan who works for us, and he’s giving her glowing reports. She’s much like Madame Maserati, she’s a tough old thing. 

“She loves being a racehorse and loves going to work each day. She’s away with Ross, one on one, she’s the only horse he’s got up there, we give them a five star treatment at the best of times, but being up there completely on her own, she’s getting absolutely spoiled rotten.” 

Rated a $19 chance with markets on Friday afternoon, Yeomans is confident the mare can run well above her odds in the 1400-metre event.

“She’s just thriving up there, and I’m not sure what odds she is now, but she was 30-1 or something, which I thought was outrageous. Ciaron Maher’s horse was favourite, and I thought our horse beat it fair and square last start, so I think she’s well over the odds. 

“We are aware that she doesn’t win out of turn, but she doesn’t ever put in a bad run. So we’re very, very happy with her and as I said, Ross couldn’t be happier with her and with a little bit of luck she should be right up there.” 

Fortunate Kiss started her career with Daniel Bowman, and was purchased by the Kennewell Yeomans team with Group 1 Bloodstock and Ridgeport Holdings stable for $150,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

“We bought her in conjunction with Santo, a very, very good client of our stable, from the used mare sale, and the goal was to win a black-type race. We could have probably aimed the bar a bit lower with her and have won races with her, but the goal has been just to increase her value as a broodmare. 

“She is going very, very well, and I have no doubt if we just run her in a normal Saturday race in town, she would have won multiple races by now, but the goal is black type for her page, and she’s well and truly knocking on the door and she really deserves it, so we’re hoping tomorrow might be her day.”