Al Maher filly wins Listed Guineas

SEPTEMBER 12, 2009: Al Maher’s first-crop Group winning 2-year-old Majestic Music is now a first-crop stakes winning 3-year-old after posting an impressive victory in the Listed SAJC Lindsay Park Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville.

Racing over a metric mile for the first time in her career, Majestic Music produced a brilliant sprint at the top of the straight before racing well clear of her rivals over the final stages. At the winning post, the filly was three lengths clear of her nearest rival yet appeared to be still full of running.

Majestic Music was the first juvenile stakes winner for her sire during the previous racing season. The Adelaide-based galloper won the Group 3 SAJC National Stakes in March of this year. She now holds the distinction of also being Al Maher’s first 3-year-old stakes winner by winning the South Australian black-type feature.

Al Maher was represented by no fewer than three runners in the Listed SAJC Lindsay Park Guineas, with Salinas and Maxmollieava also in the final field. In providing the winner of the contest, the Emirates Park stallion has now been represented by seven individual 3-year-old winners since August 1.

POSTSCRIPT: Antarah added to the tally of 3-year-old winners accredited Al Maher in season 2009/10 when winning a 1300-metre Maiden Plate at Scone within 24 hours of Majestic Music’s success in Adelaide.

A placegetter at his previous outing, the gelding scored by a long-head from Gravitas, a son of Redoute’s Choice that fetched $1.5 million as a yearling and went off as an odds-on favourite for the Scone event.

Antarah is only the second foal of Royal Taboo, a Sydney metropolitan winning daughter of Marscay. Bred on the success Danehill-Star Kingdom (Ire) cross, Antarah carries two lines of Nijinsky through Dancing Show and Western Symphony (USA).