Impending was the first 3YO in six years to win the prestigious Stradbroke Handicap

Impending is a thoroughbred born in Australia in 2013. The colt was impeccably bred by Lonhro (AUS) out of Mnemosyne (AUS), owned by the Godolphin Australia Syndicate and trained by James Cummings. One of the fastest by sire of sires, Lonhro and was the first three-year-old in a decade to win the G1 Stradbroke Handicap. His mother, Mnemosyne' six wins included the G1 Flight Stakes and G1 Thousand Guineas. Mnemosyne is one of seven winners from as many foals produced by her dam My Juliet (Canny Lad) and has herself produced three Stakes winners, including the promising filly Epidemic (Lonhro). It is a family that also includes the outstanding racemare Better Draw who at stud produced the G1 Golden Slipper winner Full On Aces and his brother Top Of The Pack.

As a racehorse Impending showed his talents right from the beginning, winning at his first start as a two-year-old, including the Pluck Vinery Handicap (1100m) and then stacking up Stakes placings at his next three starts before winning the Gr.2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) in the spring of 2016. Impending was prepared for that win by Darren Beadman, a seven-time champion jockey in Sydney and a long-time assistant trainer with Godolphin. Beadman had also scored Gr.1 victories on Impending's dam Mnemosyne, his sire Lonhro and his grandsire, Octagonal. 

Impending became the first three-year-old since Sincero in 2011 to win the 2017 Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap doing enough over the concluding stages to hold off In Our Time by a narrow margin with Clearly Innocent a length away in third. Settling back in the field from the wide draw with Corey Brown on board, Impending edged forward out wide coming to the turn, running on strongly in the straight to take the lead over the concluding stages. In what was Darren Beadman’s first Group 1 success as a trainer, Impending ran one pound higher than 2016 winner Under The Louvre and one pound below Sincero the last three-year-old to win the race.

Impending began his four-year-old career in the spring of 2017 under the care of Cummings, with the best of his two runs for the preparation a third placing in the Gr.1 Darley Classic at Flemington (1200m). The colt's final preparation kicked off with a victory in the Gr.2 Victory Stakes at Doomben which was followed by an unlucky second to English in the Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m), before claiming his second Group One in brilliant style. Impending produced a late burst in the straight after being shuffled back on the home turn to overhaul the Kris Lees trained Le Romain in the Gr.1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m), also at Doomben.

Impending retired to stud with a record of five wins and eight placings from 18 starts and prizemoney of almost A$2.5 million. He stood at Darley's Northwood Park stud in Victoria for a fee of A$8,800 but didn't prove as successful as hoped with his first crop. He has sired G2 winning two-year-old and three-year-old NZ runner, Impendabelle. He has also produced recent winners, Forecaster, Surprise Coming, Imminance and Changing Guard. Impending has already sired 44 winners of 63 races to date.

RACE RECORD - 18: 5-2-6

EARNINGS - A$2,403,989

Stradbroke Handicap

Stan Fox Stakes

Kingsford-Smith Cup

Victory Stakes