October 5th, 2008

Al Maher had his first 2-year-old barrier trial winner when Motown Lady won a heat staged at Southport racecourse on the Gold Coast on September 30.

Ridden by Matthew Palmer for trainer Bruce Hill, Motown Lady defeated four rival fillies in a 500-metre ‘jump-out’ that proved to be one of six trials staged on the Gold Coast for the 2-year-old division that morning.

Motown Lady was bred by Flame Tree Stud from the Bluebird (USA) mare Suburban Blues. A September 2006 foal, Motown Lady was offered at the 2008 Magic Millions Premier Yearling Sale and fetched $42,500 when sold to Waverley Park Lodge.

The eighth living foal of Suburban Blues, a Melbourne and Adelaide metropolitan winner, Motown Lady is a three-quarter sister to the stakes placed juvenile Bluedanu from the family of the former top-class sprinter and successful sire Demus.

January 14th, 2008

STALLIONS’ takes a look at the outstanding array of talent among the sires with first crop yearlings for sale in 2008. 

This week STALLIONS looks at Al Maher’s credentials. 

With young stock by Danehill no longer available buyers’ may well look to horses such as his son Al Maher as a means of keeping alive the great stallion’s influence. Not overtaxed during his racing career by owners’ Emirates Park Stud, he retired after facing the starter only 11 times. 

Al Maher stepped out twice as a juvenile and remained undefeated. And another nine times during his classic year when he developed into a high class miler. Al Maher was best suited to firm turf surfaces and won three races during his classic season including the Group I VRC Australian Guineas, a race that appears on Zabeel, Pins and Flying Spur’s resume.

The good-looking son of Danehill had a stamp of quality and appealed immediately to breeders being a three-quarter-brother in blood to Redoute's Choice, also by Danehill.

Al Maher is from Show Dancing (Don't Say Halo) a daughter of the influential producer Dancing Show, who is by Nijinsky who was hailed as Northern Dancer’s best racehorse son. Dancing Show is the dam of the proven sires Umatilla and Hurricane Sky and her daughter Shantha's Choice, who in turn is the dam of Redoute's Choice, Platinum Scissors, Sliding Cube, Monsoon Wedding and Superior Sateen.

Al Maher’s great grandam is one of the all time great matriarchs, Best In Show (by Traffic Judge), who has a world-wide legacy through the Group One winners Blush With Pride (by Blushing Groom), winner of the Churchill Downs Kentucky Oaks and Santa Anita Susana Stakes and the dam of the stakes winning Smolensk (by Danzig) and Better Than Honour (by Deputy Minister) who in turn is the dam of two grade one winners, the Belmont Stakes victor, Jazil (by Seeking The Gold) and the history making mare, Rags To Riches (by A P Indy), winner of the Grade I events the Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, Santa Anita Oaks and Las Virgenes Stakes. 

The group one Saint-Cloud Criterium International Stakes hero, Thewayyouare (by Kingmambo) and his half-sister the four-time group one winning Peeping Fawn (by Danehill) are both out of Maryinsky (by Sadler’s Wells) a daughter of Best In Show.

The Sir Ivor stallion, Gielgud descends from Best In Show as does the Irish Derby, Newmarket 2000 Guineas and Dewhurst Stakes hero, El Gran Senor (by Northern Dancer) and his full brother Try My Best. 

Daughters of Best In Show have produced the Group I Longchamp Prix de la Salamandre and Dewhurst Stakes winner, Xaar (by Zafonic); Belmont Turf Classic Invitational, Hollywood Derby Manhattan Hcp and Whittingham Hcp victor Denon (by Pleasant Colony). The Nureyev duo Good Journey (winner of the Grade I Woodbine Atto Mile Stakes) and Spinning World (winner of the Group I Deauville Prix Jacques le Marois (twice), Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Hollywood Park Breeders' Cup Mile and the Curragh Irish 2000 Guineas). 

Al Maher will be represented by four yearlings in the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale (January 28 – 29th), a lone entry in the Select S, January 30th until February 1st, and he has another 26 on offer at the William Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (March 1st-6th).

May 16th, 2005

    The 'book full' sign has been posted by the senior management of Emirates Park in regard to the stud's exciting first season sire Group One winner Al Maher (Danehill ex Show Dancing by Don't Say Halo). 

    Officially retired to stud during the broodmare selling session of the 2005 Inglis Easter bloodstock sales, the stud was soon overwhelmed by enquiry from Australia's leading thoroughbred breeding concerns. As a direct consequence, Al Maher is now guaranteed a full book of 150 quality mares with which to commence his outrageously exciting stud career.