Invermark (20 February 1994 – after 2002) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who excelled over extended distances. He showed modest ability in his early career and won only one minor race in his first two seasons. In 1998 however he made rapid progress as he took a minor event at Haydock Park before winning the Chester Stakes and then recording his biggest success in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran. In the following year he failed to win but arguably reached his peak with a second place in a very strong renewal of the Ascot Gold Cup and also finished placed in the Chester Cup and Prix Kergorlay. After being sidelined by injury for almost two years he returned to the track as a seven-year-old in 2001 to win another minor race at Haydock before running second in the Jockey Club Cup. The highlight of his final active season was a second place in the Henry II Stakes.
Background
Invermark was a dark bay or brown horse bred in England owned and bred by Sir David Wills. A member of the Wills family of tobacco merchants Sir David established the Ditchley Foundation and was described as "one of the greatest but least-known benefactors of the post-war era". Invermark was trained throughout his racing career by James Fanshawe at the Pegasus Stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Wills was an enthusiastic follower of field sports and Invermark was named after Invermark Lodge in Angus, Scotland.
He was sired by Machiavellian, an American-bred, French-trained racehorse who was one of the leading European two-year-olds of his generation, winning the Prix Morny and the Prix de la Salamandre in 1989. He later became a very successful breeding stallion, siring leading winners including Almutawakel, Street Cry, Medicean and Storming Home. Invermark's dam Applecross showed good form in a brief racing career, winning three of her six races and finishing second in both the Park Hill Stakes and the Princess Royal Stakes. She produced several other winners including Craigsteel (Princess of Wales's Stakes) and Inchrory (Stockholm Cup International). She was descended from Alassio, a half-sister to both Royal Charger and the influential broodmare Tessa Gillian.
Racing career
Early career
Invermark began his racing career by finishing eighth in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 17 August 1996. He showed some progress in two similar events before the end of the year, running fifth at Thirsk in September and third at Yarmouth in October.
The colt began his second campaign by coming home twelfth in a minor handicap race at Newmarket Racecourse in May and was gelded shortly afterwards. After recovering from the operation Invermark returned in a maiden over eleven and a half furlongs at Yarmouth on 22 July and started at odds of 8/1 in an eight-runner field. Ridden by Michael Hills he recorded his first success as he took the lead three furlongs out and prevailed in a tight finish by a head from the Henry Cecil-trained favourite Awesome Wells. He then returned to handicap races, finishing fifth at Newmarket in August and second at Haydock Park in September. On his final run of the year he came home fourth behind Sabadilla in the November Handicap at Doncaster.
1998: four-year-old season
On his first two appearances of 1998 Invermark came home sixth in handicaps at Newmarket and Sandown Park in April. He produced a better effort when finishing runner-up at Doncaster in June and then started odds-on favourite when carrying 140 pounds in a minor handicap over fourteen furlongs at Haydock on 3 July. Ridden by Walter Swinburn he took the lead in the last quarter mile and drew right away from his opponents to win by seven lengths. Richard Hughes took the ride when the gelding contested a more prestigious handicap, the Listed Chester Stakes over thirteen and a half furlongs at Chester Racecourse in August and started at odds of 8/1. After being restrained in the early stages he moved into contention in the last half mile and took the lead a furlong out. Invermark pulled clear in the closing stages to win by three and a half lengths from the filly Delilah (Princess Royal Stakes) with the favourite Perfect Paradigm (Old Newton Cup) in third.