Vale Show Dancing (NZ)

OCTOBER 1, 2009: Emirates Park this week lost one of its ‘Blue Hen’ broodmares when Show Dancing (NZ) suffered complications during foaling.

Born in 1993 following a mating between Don’t Say Halo (USA) and the celebrated matriarch Dancing Show (USA), Show Dancing has been one of Australia’s leading producers during the past decade. The winner of two metropolitan races in Sydney, her stud career commenced in 1997 and has seen her steadily rise in prominence, both through the ability of her offspring on the racetrack as well as demand for them in the sales ring.

From just her second mating, Show Dancing produced the subsequent Group 3 AJC Fernhill Stakes winner Salameh, a daughter of Secret Savings (USA) raced in the blue, red and white colours of His Excellency Nasser Lootah.

Show Dancing’s fourth foal proved to be none other than the Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas winner Al Maher [pictured above], a son of Danehill (USA) possessed of rare racing ability. Now the leading member of the Emirates Park stallion roster, Al Maher has emerged as one of Australia’s most exciting young stallions with his oldest progeny only just turned four.

The stature of Show Dancing in the Australian broodmare band is probably best illustrated by the fact that the 2006 Redoute’s Choice colt produced from her daughter Salameh topped the 2008 Australian Easter Yearling Sale at $2.7 million. In addition, her own 2007 colt foal by Encosta de Lago topped ‘Easter’ at $1.8 million earlier this year.

It is probably safe to say that Show Dancing has played a major role in establishing the most fashionable pedigree page in Australian breeding. Not only was she a half-sister to the high-class racehorses and leading sires Umatilla (NZ) and Hurricane Sky, but also to the remarkable Shantha’s Choice --- dam of Group 1 winners Redoute’s Choice (Champion Sire), Manhattan Rain and Platinum Scissors.