Albany trainer Rebecca Bayliss stoked with Regional Championship heat win with new galloper Invincible Power

Albany trainer Rebecca Bayliss said booking a spot in the regional championship final at Ascot with newly acquired galloper Invincible Power was all part of the plan after the gelding stormed to victory on Saturday.

Jockey Kyra Yuill powered the $2.60 favourite to a thrilling victory in the $40,000 Regional Championship Heat: The Road to Ascot (1240m), pipping the Samantha Faithfull-trained Vonsnip ($2.90) by a short half-head.

After sitting well back in the field for most of the feature race in Albany, Invincible Power emerged through heavy traffic on the final corner, swallowing a big gap to Vonsnip to pinch victory on the line.

Paul Hunter’s Pennies Galore ($7.50) was 4½ lengths back in third.

After the four-year-old’s slow start, an elated Bayliss said she was always focused on qualifying their new gelding for the regional final in Ascot.

“Yeah, that was sort of the plan with him when we got in, that was our aim,” Bayliss said.

“That was our first task with him that we wanted to go for, so it’s all worked out so far.

“I was probably a bit worried at the top of the straight because they were getting away a bit, and he had a bit of work to do and a bit of traffic to get through.

“But once he got clear, he stormed home.”

Originally from Warnambool-based trainer Lindsey Smith, Bayliss struck a deal to buy the rising galloper over the off-season.

“My husband, Mark (Bayliss) has a really good relationship with Lindsey Smith, and Lindsey contacted him a while ago and said I’ve got this really nice horse that the owners are looking at selling’,” she said.

“We got it before it did (went online) . . . and just brought him over.

“We’re really happy with how all our horses are going at the moment, and they’re all sort of stepping up.”

G’Day Bloke and Frantic War also ran second for the Bayliss stable on opening day at Percy Spencer Racecourse.