Saturday double for Al Maher

August 8, 2009: The 2009/10 racing season has begun in extremely encouraging fashion for the stock of Al Maher with a double posted on the latest Saturday program --- and three first-crop 3-year-olds winning in just two days!

On the feature card staged in Victoria, the Peter Moody-trained Salinas won a high-class fillies contest at Flemington run over 1410 metres. After racing outside the leader from the outset, Salinas responded in brilliant fashion to the urges of her rider and hit the front close to the line to maintain her unbeaten record.

The winner of her only other start back in March, Salinas is a daughter of the Group 1 Australasian Oaks winner Leica Smile. In post race interviews, both trainer Peter Moody and jockey Luke Nolen praised the Al Maher filly for the job she has done so far in her career, but left very little doubt that even better things are in store when she races over longer distances later in her career.

Salinas was one of two daughters by Al Maher to contest the same race, with Maxmollieava running an excellent third at only the second outing of her career. The filly has now filled the minor placing at both her two starts to date and clearly has the ability to win a good race in the very near future.

Earlier on the same afternoon, Dance With Her won the third race of the day at Tatura at only the second outing of her career. Following a first-up third at Seymour, the 3-year-old daughter of Al Maher won the Maiden Plate over 1400 metres against older geldings and mares. In fact, Dance With Her was the only 3-year-old in the field.

Just one day earlier, Al Maher had been represented in the winner’s enclosure by Canberra Action winner Mahezalon. Following the success of Dance With Her 24 hours later, this exciting young stallion’s first crop now features no fewer than 10 individual winners including Jungwon Jepae, a three-time winner in Korea.