Professional sire Al Maher invokes amateur status

But last Saturday, the veteran stallion stamped his amateur credentials when his daughter Sensation Ally won the 2000m Townsville Amateurs Cup and his son Imanui won the 1200m Amateurs Sprint. Both horses are from his 2012 crop.

Both the Cup and the Sprint were decided by photo-finishes and on each occasion horses carrying the distinctive Tom Hedley colours were relegated to runner-up. The vanquished horse in the Cup was Estikrhraaj (GB) with another Hedley horse Follow Suit (NZ) fourth. A similar fate befell Cedarwood in the Sprint while yet another Hedley horse Grey Missile featured in the photo to finish third.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse had a great opinion of Al Maher describing him as "one of the most genuine racehorses I have ever trained and has transferred this invaluable quality to his progeny". One of the star 3YOs of his generation, Al Maher won five races including the Group 1 Australian Guineas - a race previously won by champion sires Zabeel and Flying Spur. In addition, he is a three-quarter brother in blood to champion sire Redoute's Choice and is from the immediate family of successful stallions Umatilla and Hurricane Sky.

Based at Emirates Stud, Hunter Valley, NSW - now run by Aquis Farm - Al Maher has four Group 1 winners among his progeny including mares Delicacy and Diamond Drille. So Mackay trainer John Manzelmann had no hesitation paying $10,000 when then 6YO mare Sensation Ally was offered for auction at the recent Inglis Great Southern broodmare sale in Melbourne.

Sensation Ally is one of three winners produced from the unraced Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Sensational Spirit plus her yearling colt by Reward For Effort was passed in at $50,000 at this year's Inglis Premier Yearling sale

Previously trained by Melbourne-based John McArdle, Sensation Ally won six races at provincial centres such as Pakenham, Bendigo, Mornington and Tatura before moving to north Queensland where she's earned a further $39,000 with wins at Townsville, Mackay and Clermont.

Manzelmann has been a 'cups collector' at country tracks from Rockhampton to Cooktown - but they can't match his astounding record in the 2013 Townsville Amateurs Cup where he trained the first five placegetters led by Cup winner Sarbi.

READ the race record of Al Maher's Townsville Amateurs Sprint winner Imanui and there's every reason to call him a Townsville sprint specialist.

The evidence is five wins and three placings from just 10 starts at Townsville's Cluden Park since being on-sold from Sydney trainer Ron Quinton who prepared him for wins at Warwick Farm, Kembla Grange and Goulburn to Townsville-based Jeffrey Caught.

But don't be surprised if he wins over further ground as his eight wins to date include two wins at 1600m - the same distance as the Group 1 Australian Guineas won by his sire Al Maher.

Imanui didn't come cheap as Caught had to outlay $33,000 to buy him at an online auction last October. However, the expense was justified as he has now earned prizemoney at all of his 10 Townsville starts to accumulate $72,250 - more than double his purchase price.

Imanui entered Quinton's stables after being passed-in for $10,000 by Emirates Park at the 2014 Inglis Classic yearling sale. Some four years later, his full brother sold for $57,500 at the 2018 equivalent sale. Both are from the Viscount mare Shirra Nui -an unraced half-sister to New Zealand Listed winner Khemsoabi. They, in turn, are from the South African Group 3 winner Geordoba.

With his family originally involved in the harness industry in Townsville and Cairns, Caught turned to Thoroughbreds in Cairns and subsequently trained in Brisbane before returning to Townsville in mid-2016 and currently has between five to six horses in work.

TOLGA trainer Sharlee D'avila took six horses to Atherton races on Sunday to have two starters in the first race and one each in the remaining races on the five-race program.

She didn't have to go far as the Atherton Turf Club is based at the Tolga's Morrow Park track where Sharlee trains. In fact, she's one of 20 trainers around the district who use the track facilities. The result was a winning treble in the first three races followed by a runner-up in the fourth race and a fifth in the final race. The other horse failed to finish.

The winning treble comprised:

The first winner was ridden by Mark Elliott, the second by her Brazilian-born husband Wanderson D'avila and the third by Pietro Romeo.

The D'avila racing partnership has clicked at least 17 times with his latest win for Sharlee taking his total tally to 395 winners across three countries - England, Malaysia and Australia.

A media report in The Land published in May 2017 reveals that prior to arriving in Australia in 2010, Wanderson rode in North America - mainly in Florida - before riding on the famous training grounds at Lambourne in England for seven years.

From there he came to Australia, settling into Northern Queensland where he became stable jockey for Atherton trainer Roy Chillemi and for whom he has now ridden more than 120 winners. It was there he met Atherton trainer Sharlee Hoffman, and they married at the Atherton Turf Club's racecourse winning post at Tolga in February 2016.

While a crowd of around 200 attended last Sunday's meeting, Atherton Turf Club secretary Katie Poggioli predicted this would swell five times to more than 1000 for the club's next Saturday meeting on September 21 where the feature event on the six race program will be the 1800m Atherton Cup.

THE quality packed catalogue for Australia's best producing breeze-up style auction, the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale, is now online.

To be held at the Gold Coast Sales Complex on October 14 and 15, the sale features 269 exciting prospects (plus supplementaries) with buyers looking to secure their next stakes winning star.

"This is a 2YO sale with proven stakes results for buyers. From the last seven editions of the sale 54 stakes performers have emerged. The Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale produces more winners and has the best strike rate of the three breeze-up style auctions in Australasia. The reason for this is the professionalism of our vendors who are among the most experienced 2YO sale vendors in the region." Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.

Sale graduates include recent Australian carnival stars Tyzone and Victorem, stakes winning filly Krone and Singapore stars Top Knight, Lim's Lightning and this season's Aushorse Golden Horseshoe Series star Rocket Star.

In a boost for buyers 186 lots are BOBS Eligible, 61 are nominated to the Magic Millions Race Series, 12 are nominated for the Golden Slipper, 11 for the Blue Diamond Stakes and 32 lots are QTIS Fully Paid. Some 24 lots are Super VOBIS Nominated.

Youngsters will breeze at one of four sessions across three states in the lead-up to the auction giving prospective buyers a great chance to see each lot gallop on a similar surface. All breeze-up sessions will be streamed live via the Magic Millions website and all completed breeze footage will be online soon after.

The catalogue for the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale is now available for download via the Equineline iPad app and can also be viewed online at www.magicmillions.com.au

Warwick Farm, NSW: Breeze-Ups Monday September 16 - 10am

Seymour Racing Club, Vic: Breeze-Ups Friday September 20 - 9am

Gold Coast Turf Club, Qld: Breeze-Ups Monday September 23 - 9.30am

Gold Coast Turf Club, Qld: Breeze-Ups Friday October 11 - 9.30am

Gold Coast Turf Club, Qld: International Raceday Saturday October 12

THE racing industry will celebrate the annual TAB Queensland Thoroughbred Awards night at Sofitel Brisbane Central on Sunday, September 22.

The awards recognise the stars of the turf from the 2018/19 season and also include new inductees into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame.

Last year, Tony Gollan (trainer), Jeff Lloyd (jockey) and Crack Me Up (horse) took home the major awards, while Brisbane Racing Club racing manager Bart Sinclair was one of five inductees into the Hall of Fame.

Despite recently retiring from competitive riding, Lloyd boasts an unassailable lead in the Metropolitan Jockeys' Premiership - his fourth during his illustrious career - while Gollan is also all-but assured of walking away with the Metropolitan Trainers' Premiership.

Looking forward to the Thoroughbred Awards, Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said: "The ceremonies allow the industry to acknowledge the significant contribution of standout performers over the course of each year while the Hall of Fame provides the opportunity to look back and thank those who came before us. This year we will acknowledge some extraordinary equine and human heroes and I would encourage everyone with an interest in racing to attend and to help celebrate the 2018/19 racing season."

For further information email Awards@racingqueensland.com.au.