The ninth running of the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday honours one of the greats of modern times whose deeds on the track and at stud left us baying for more.
A quick recap of her career. A $320,000 purchase for Demi O'Byrne at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the daughter of Fastnet Rock reeled off wins at Geelong, Moonee Valley and Caulfield before facing her first stakes assignment in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas. She passed that test with flying colours, walloping a top-class filly in Mosheen by three lengths.
Atlantic Jewel suffered a tendon injury after a 7-length romp in the Group II Wakeful Stakes. Off the scene for six months, she took up where she left off. In a light autumn in Sydney, nothing came close in the Group II Sapphire Stakes and Group 1 All-Aged Stakes. Back in Melbourne for the spring, Atlantic Jewel had a jog trot in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes and Group II Stocks Stakes before tasting defeat for the first and only time following an epic dual with the Champion Dundeel in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.
Order was restored in the Caulfield Stakes when embarrassing Foreteller by four lengths.
Sadly, that was the end. Another tendon injury and Atlantic Jewel was off to begin her stud career in Ireland.
Covered exclusively by Galileo (IRE), the best of Atlantic Jewel's five foals by the champion sire is Russian Emperor (IRE), who earned Epsom Derby favouritism when winning the Group III Hampton Court Stakes at Ascot. After finishing midfield in the classic as favourite behind stablemate Serpentine, Russian Emperor (IRE) was back on his pedestal in Hong Kong.
Atlantic Jewel died in 2020 while foaling a Justify (IRE) colt. The only foal to go through a yearling sale, the colt was a $240,000 purchase for Dermot Farrington Bloodstock at the 2022 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Named Maravillas and sent to Annabel Neasham, the 3-year-old son of Justify (USA) has yet to reach the track.
Atlantic Jewel had only one filly, the unarced Atlantic Emerald (IRE). She foaled a Zosutar colt last spring and was covered again by the Widden Stud stallion.
Najoom may not have reached the heights of Atlantic Jewel. Still, the richly talented daughter of Northern Meteor has made an exciting start to her second career. Her million-dollar daughter Charm Stone has earned favouritism for Saturday's Atlantic Jewel Stakes.
Najoom was a $225,000 purchase for Emirates Park out of Willow Park Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She won five and was runner-up twice in seven career starts. She looked like a Group 1 winner in waiting when trouncing the field in the Group III Hawkesbury Guineas run that year at Rosehill. It was a similar story at her next start, thrashing the Group III Fred Best Classic field at Doomben.
Connections opted not to pay the late entry fee despite Najoom being elevated to favouritism for the Group 1 Stradbroke Hcp, deciding to target the Group 1 Tatts Tiara. Controversially, Najoom was made the second emergency and failed to gain a run. Sadly, the Peter and Paul Snoden-trained filly did not race again.
Najoom was covered by I Am Invincible in her first season, but tragedy struck again. Her colt foal died after birth.
Her first live foal was the Snitzel filly Najmah, who won twice and placed in three of her seven starts.
Najmah made Najoom a grandmother last September when foaling an I Am Invincible filly.
Najoom's second foal was the I Am Invincible filly Najmaty, who won on debut at Randwick before adding the Listed Redoute's Choice Stakes at Caulfield. She later added the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes at Eagle Farm before finishing second in the Group II Dane Ripper Stakes.
Emirates Park decided to sell Najmaty' sister Charm Stone at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Sheamus Mills was the last man standing when the gavel fell at $1,550,000, the most expensive filly of the sale.
It's looking like money well spent. A debut third in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington last October was followed by a Group III Darley Ottawa Stakes victory.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent (JNR) trained filly finished sixth as a short-priced favourite in the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude and was done for the season.
On her reappearance in the Group III Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 19, Charm Stone defeated the high-class Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Skirt The Law.
Najoom hails from one of the most prolific families in the Stud Book.
Her unraced dam Charlety Star (Arena) is a half-sister to stakes-winners Upon This Rock, Bhutane Dane and Gaze On. Her dam Joleur is a sister to the Group III Research Stakes winner Mica's Pride, the dam of the remarkable 4-time Group 1 winner Criterion, Group1 Doomben Cup winner Comin' Through, Group II winner Varenna Miss and the Listed winner Silently.
Silently has a promising I am Invincible colt of her own. A $1million Magic Millions purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Go Bloodstock, Piercing Arrow has not raced since impressing at Warwick Farm in May but has been impressive in recent barrier trials.
Emirates Park has retained Najoom's 2-year-old filly Manaajem. From the first crop of Golden Gift winner and Group II Silver Slipper Stakes runner-up Tassort (Brazen Beau), Manaajem is in training with Peter and Paul Snowden.
Najoom made it five consecutive fillies when foaling a daughter of Capitalist last spring before another visit to I Am Invincible.
