Emirate Park Stud's homebred Tassort filly Manaal will stake her claim for Champion Two-Year-Old in Saturday's $750,000 Group 1 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Manaal has danced every dance (image Steve Hart)
The Michael Freedman-trained filly has danced every dance since claiming the first stakes race of the season for juveniles, the Group III Gimcrack Stakes.
Seen 18 weeks later in the Group III Widden Stakes, Manaal was no match for Lady of Camelot but showed she had taken plenty from that when winning the Group II Sweet Embrace Stakes.
A troubled fifth in the Golden Slipper, coming from near last to be beaten just over two lengths, was followed by a fighting win on a heavy track in the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes.
Manall comes from the first crop of Tassort, whose career on the track consisted of two starts, a five-length romp in the Golden Gift and a second in the Group II Silver Slipper Stakes.
A son of Brazen Beau out of Godolphin's blue hen Essaouira (Exceed And Excel), Tassort is a half-brother to triple Group 1 winner Alizee (Sepoy), Group 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes winner Astern (Medaglia D'Oro), and multiple stakes placegetter Mogador (Lonhro) and Leopard (Animal Kingdom), the dam of the Group III ATC Ballieu Hcp winner Amur (Snitzel), who was third in the Group II VRC Sires' Produce Stakes won by Veight.
Manaal can claim the lion's share of credit for Tassort covering a career-high 232 mares last spring, the busiest stallion in the nation in 2023.
After standing his first four seasons at $11,000, it is intriguing to speculate what his service fee will be when Newgate Farm reveals the forthcoming season roster.
Manaal is the third foal of the stakes-winning Midshipman mare Red Lodge (USA), a US$500,000 purchase for Emirates Park at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when carrying a Kitten's Joy colt named Badr.
Raced by Emirates Park, Badr showed little for Kevin Ryan, then William Haggas and was sold to continue his career in Saudi Arabia, where he is a 4-time winner.
Tassort the busiest stallion in Australia last spring
Red Lodge (USA) was a slick 2-year-old for Wesley Ward, earning a trip to Royal Ascot for the Group II Norfolk Stakes following a three and three-quarter lengths romp in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park.
A half-sister to stakes-winner Good Like Magic (Good Magic), Red Lodge (USA) is out of the unraced Aldebaran mare Star Silver a daughter of the champion, Memories Of Silver.
Winner at the highest level in the Beverly D Stakes, and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, Memories Of Silver was described by champion jockey Jerry Baily as the most courageous horse he had ever ridden.
The daughter of Silver Hawk carried her success to stud with four stakes-winner headed by the champion El Prado filly Winter Memories, who won eight of twelve starts, seven graded, including the G1 Diana Stakes and G1 Garden City Stakes.
The first Australian-bred foal for Red Lodge (USA) was the Snitzel colt Fightertown.
A $1.1 million Magic Millions purchase for Tom Magnier, Fightertown broke his maiden at Warwick Farm at his fifth start last August. Still, he has failed to measure up to what was expected of him and has been gelded and sold on Inglis Digital for $150,000.
Red Lodge (USA) has a yearling filly by I Am Invincible. After foaling a Zoustar filly in November, Red Lodge (USA) visited Justify (USA).
