Nothing invisible about smart debut win by juvenile at Canterbury

The Hawkes Racing-trained Invisible made the perfect start to his racing career when proving too classy for his rivals in the TAB iPad App 2YO Plate (1200m) at Canterbury on Saturday.

Invisible, a $280,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling purchase earlier this year, is a colt by first season stallion All American.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes, who trains Invisible in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, said the colt is now bound for the Gold Coast chasing a rich payday in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on January 11.

"He's booked his ticket now,” Hawkes told TVN. "Magic Millions has always been the aim for him but obviously it's hard with an unraced two-year-old when you're up against stables that have big opinions of theirs but in saying that we knew what we had.

"He'll keep getting better, he's just a nice horse.”

Invisible began well in his first trip to the races and used his natural speed to go forward from a wide draw and sit outside the leader Jetwings with the race favourite Nordic Empire stalking the leaders.

In straightening, Invisible started applying serious pressure to Jetwings before his superior turn of foot resulted in him surging to the front and scoring a win that caught the attention of jockey James McDonald.

"Very professional, they've (Hawkes Racing) done a wonderful job with him,” he said. "They've always said he was a very good smart two-year-old even before he trialled.

"Today he bounced, travelled and showed a good turn of foot.

"He gives me a feel of a very good horse. Probably a horse that will come back a very good three-year-old but he'll go a long way as a two-year-old.”

Invisible ($10) defeated the Gerald Ryan-trained Jetwings ($3.30 eq fav) by three-quarters of a length with a further length back to the Mick Price-trained Nordic Empire ($3.30 eq fav), who had his chance, in third.

Invisible's performance resulted in corporate bookie Sportsbet firming his Magic Millions quote into $11 and he now sits on the fourth line of betting while Nordic Empire released his position as the third favourite and is now a $15 chance.