In Secret salutes for team Godolphin in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes

InSecret justified the faith Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox and head trainer James Cummings showed in her with a brilliant win on Saturday, 29 October in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1,200m at Flemington in Melbourne.

Cox, on behalf of Godolphin bought the I Am Invincible filly for $900,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale - Godolphin’s only purchase from nearly 1000 lots at the 2021 auction in Queensland.

Having just her sixth race start in the Coolmore, In Secret took her record to four wins and two placings for prize money earnings of $1,705,525 with the promise of much more to come.

Champion jockey James McDonald navigated a winning passage through the centre after the three-year-old copped a buffeting early in the race.

But she was still far too good for C’est Magique and Buenos Noches, winning by two lengths in a quick 1min 10.47secs.

It was McDonald’s fourth win of the day and drew accolades from Cox and Cummings - who has enjoyed a phenomenal run of Stakes-race wins in Sydney and Melbourne this spring.

“When we started I sat down with Vin and asked him, ‘what are you looking at doing’ and he said, ‘I really want to go to the market and buy some outside yearlings,” Cummings said.

“We bought some good horses, a few Stakes winners, and Exhilarates winning a (2YO) Magic Millions was a massive thrill.

“But we hadn’t yet bought a G1 winner and last year wewent to the sales together and found one horse and this was the horse.

“It doesn’t get much better than that and the world is her oyster.

“She’s a G1-winning filly by one of the best stallions in the country and isn’t she worth something now.

“Vin paid $900,000 for her at the sales out of his BOBS bonus kitty and I don’t think His Highness Sheikh Mohammed would let her go for any money.”

Cox couldn’t hide his delight but preferred to pass the credit on to Cummings and McDonald.

“This is a special victory for Godolphin with a filly we purchased a couple of years ago at the Magic Millions and we are absolutely delighted to win a G1,” he said.

“To that end I’d like to congratulate the breeders at Segenhoe Stud, we are thrilled to own her and absolutely thrilled that she could win this for you.

“James Cummings - outstanding. We are having an unbelievable run, it’s quite phenomenal all the success over the last few weeks we’re having and I congratulate you for all you are doing.

“And to James McDonald, he can walk on water at the moment, he is a freak.

“For a relatively young jockey, the amount of G1s he’s already won and the trajectory he’s on is quite incredible.”

McDonald, who had already ridden Anamoe and Golden Mile to G1 wins for Godolphin this spring, was full of admiration for In Secret.

“She was just on song, really, she was ready to go, she jumped in the air (start) but she's a good filly,” he said.

"I knew my job, I had to muster to get a spot pretty quickly instead of gliding into that spot.

“It was very important to get that spot for my winning chances, as it turned out she won by a margin.”

In Secret has now won three Stakes races and Cummings hinted she could be the stable’s spearhead in the $15 million The Everest at Royal Randwick in 12 months.