Danehill sire Al Maher added another notable Group winner to his list when All Legal recorded a thrilling win in the G2 Villiers Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Al Maher recorded two of his three stakes victories over 1600m including the G1 Australian Guineas and G3 Carbine Club Stakes and his progeny are also proving to be outstanding milers.
All Legal, previously a Listed winner over 1400m, recorded the ninth stakes win over 1600m by Al Maher’s progeny, representing a third of the stallion’s stakes tally.
Al Maher's top milers include this season's G1 Epsom Handicap winner Fat Al and G2 Stocks Stakes winner Oasis Bloom. He was represented by three runners in the Villiers with Cabernet (4th) and Kinnersley (10th) behind AL Legal.
All Legal, winner of six of his 33 starts and close to $600,000, is bred on a similar 3 X 4 cross of Danzig (Northern Dancer) to Fat Al.
Bred in Queensland by Doug Newberry’s Access Bloodstock and raised at Lyndhurst Stud, All Legal is from the Desert Prince mare Azardi and is an older half brother to five time winner Azatorah (Bradbury’s Luck).
Azardi is a half-sister to Hong Kong Group winner Glorious Days (Hussonet) and the Listed winners Spurcent (Flying Spur) and Bangalore Bullet (Hussonet).
Her family includes the G1 winners Tully Thunder (Thunder Gulch), Black Mamba (Black Minnaloushe), Roman Emperor (Montjeu), Sandy’s Pleasure (Dash O’Pleasure) and Tristarc (Sir Tristram).
All Legal’s fifth dam Sanderae (Oncidium) was one of the best of her generation, winning nine races including the G1 VRC Oaks, G2 Wakeful Stakes and G2 Kewney Stakes.
All Legal was sold for only $25,000 to her trainer Kevin Moses as a yearling in 2008 and is part-owned by his wife Jenny.
Former jockey Moses also won the Villiers during his riding career on King’s Ideal.
"This win means more to me because training them is a lot harder than riding them," Moses said.
