Hard to Say Goodbye

Tara Madgwick - Thursday March 14
Emirates Park have bred some outstanding horses over the years and one of the best has been Group I Australian Guineas winner Al Maher, who is relocating to Stockwell Thoroughbreds in Victoria this year without his long time handler Ejaz Hussein, who was there when he was a foal and has enjoyed a great partnership with the stallion.

Al Maher and Ejaz Hussein"He's my all time favourite, no question," said Ejaz Hussein.

"We had a really special bond and when he left last Wednesday it was hard to say goodbye. A lot of us here were emotional, he's a favourite with so many people."

Born on October 17, 2001, Al Maher is by breed shaper Danehill (USA) from blue blooded Show Dancing, so was a colt that has always carried the weight of expectation being a three-quarter brother to champion sire Redoute's Choice.

"He was well behaved and switched on from the start, an absolute gentleman," Hussein recalled.

"You could put fillies next to him and he just didn't care. After he was broken in, he went down to Gai and straight away everyone down there had a good opinion of him."

Sent to champion trainer Gai Waterhouse, Al Maher won his only two starts as a juvenile and returned at three to score multiple Group wins before racing to a dominant victory in the Group I VRC Australian Guineas at Flemington.

He always returned to Emirates Park to spell during his racing career continuing his association with Ejaz Hussein and ultimately retired to stand at his birthplace in 2005.

Al Maher has been a stalwart sire in the Hunter Valley ever since, producing the winners of over $44million in prizemoney. His offspring include 34 stakes-winners headed by his Group I winners Almalad, Fat Al, Diamond Drille and the jewel in the crown Delicacy, who was the Champion 3YO Filly of 2015 winning over $2million in prizemoney for her owner / breeders Bob and Sandra Peters.

Ejaz Hussein oversaw the preparation of many of his yearlings in his role as manager at the yearling barn and also looked after the stallion during the breeding season and in the covering shed.

"His progeny are a lot like him, great temperaments and easy to manage," said Hussein, who fondly remembered prepping his Group I winning son Almalad.

Al Maher has always had great fertility covering 1401 mares in his 14 seasons in the Hunter Valley and heads to Victoria in fine health and full of enthusiasm for the breeding season ahead.

"Of course I'll miss him, he was a dream horse and a huge part of my life. He was important to all of us here at the farm," Hussein added.

"Now I'll have a reason to go to Victoria!"


Advertisment
More Reading...
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Group One Goals for Son of Maher
Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman have Group One targets on Son Of Maher’s summer programme.
Prime Winner for Al Maher
Joe O'Neill of Prime Thoroughbreds has a happy knack for finding inexpensive yearlings that turn into winners and one of those is Almerheri, who scored a stylish victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday for the John Thompson stable.
More Success for Record Priced Al Maher
The Bob and Sandra Peters owned Silverstream claimed another feature race win at Ascot on Perth on Saturday when claiming the Group III WATC AJ Scahill Stakes.
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Al Maher Stakes-Winner in Perth
Three year-old Al Maher colt Money Maher posted his second stakes win of the season when taking out the Listed WATC JC Roberts Stakes at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.