Fourth stakes winner for Al Maher

MAY 22, 2010: The Michael Moroney-trained Marheta became Al Maher’s fourth individual stakes winner when taking the Group 3 Doomben Roses (2020m) by three-quarters of a length.

Prepared out of the Flemington stables of the prominent Kiwi horseman, Marheta was having her second start in Queensland on her way to the Group 1 QTC Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm in the first week of June. The first crop daughter now looks the horse to beat in the fillies Classic following a conclusive victory in which she looked to be doing all her best work at the finish.

Moroney confirmed after the race that Marheta will next face the starter in the Eagle Farm Classic, a race he won in 2007 with Eskimo Queen. He has now won three of nine starts with the daughter of Al Maher following consecutive victories at Sale and Sandown-Lakeside earlier in the year.

Significantly, Marheta is the third Group winning filly to come out of Al Maher’s first crop to race after Majestic Music and Speedy Natalie. Not to be missed on broodmare owners is the fact that she also shares a similar line of breeding with Majestic Music, both fillies being produced by daughters of Nijinsky-line stallions.