Mossfun and Estijaab have carried the green and white Emirates Park silks to victory in the Golden Slipper in recent years and on the strength of the win by the I Am Invincible filly Espaaniyah in Saturday's $500,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) at Moonee Valley they will have a major say in the richest juvenile race on turf in 2019.
Making her career debut, Espaaniyah did everything right, making a fast start from her inside barrier, railed like a greyhound before coming clear to defeat Biscara (Rubick) by two lengths with Salome (Unencumbered) two and three-quarter lengths back in third. (photos Grant Courtney)
The job was made easier for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly when True Serendipity ran off on the turn taking half the field with her.
It was the second consecutive win in the race for Waterhouse and Bott after Setsuna (Choisir) last year.
It was a real professional performance, she has come ahead in leaps and bounds since coming down to Melbourne," Bott said.
"(Emirates) are great supporters of the stable and the industry so it's great to see them get a nice filly like this. They go to the sales and pick out the quality types and she's one of them."
"He (I Am Invincible) is an incredible stallion, we've got plenty of nice types at home and we want to secure a few more going forward."
A $750,000 purchase out of the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Espaaniyah is the second foal of the Flying Spur mare Catalonia who was a Godolphin cast-off.
She was consigned as a 7-start maiden to a tried horse sale at the Magic Millions in 2013 where she was knocked down to Peter Boyce for $24,000.
Put back into work Catalonia made another 26 starts, winning twice at the Sunshine Coast but more importantly earning some valuable black-type when runner-up in a Listed race at Eagle Farm.
In 2015 Catalonia was back in the sales ring again, this time carrying a positive test to More Than Ready (USA) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale with Tyreel Stud having the final say at $360,000 for the Willow Park Stud consigned mare.
She has proven to be an inspired choice as her More Than Ready (USA) filly foal made $625,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A year after selling Catalonia, Godolphin parted with Catalonia's half-sister Pursuits (Lonhro) for $280,000.
Straight off the track, Pursuits had a similar profile to Catalonia.
Despite placing in the Group III Blue Diamond Preview and Group III VRC Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes at two, Pursuits took 15 starts to break her maiden, which came at the Sunshine Coast at her penultimate start.
Now owned by Yarraman Park, Pursuits foaled a colt by I Am Invincible on August 23.
While Godolphin devested itself of Catalonia and Pursuits it has kept another half-sister, the Exceed And Excel mare Jorda.
Unlike her half-sisters, Jorda bounced straight out of the box, winning the Listed Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick on debut in what was to be her only start at two.
Back in November last year, Jorda defeated I Am Excited in the Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes to add to placings in the Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes and Group III Thoroughbred Club Stakes.
The trio are daughters of the stakes-placed Viscount mare Montmelo from a family that has served Woodlands and Darley well over the years.
Montmelo is a three-quarter stakes-winner to Listed winner Le Mans (Quest For Fame) and a half-sister to the Night Shift (USA) mare Suzuka whose descendants include the Group III winner Detours (Ad Valorem) and the Group III Danehill Stakes winner and Group 1 Newmarket Handicap third Aichi (Strategic).
Catalonia has a yearling colt by Pride Of Dubai but missed to I Am Invincible last spring.
