Emirates Park homebred filly Manaal won the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes on debut last spring putting her young sire Tassort on the map with a stakes-winner as his first starter and now she is likely to be his first Golden Slipper runner after a stylish win in the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m).
Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Manaal was allowed to drift back at the start, but when urged to go forward in the straight let loose with a brilliant turn of foot to kick clear and win by a length and a half over Fly Fly with Extreme Choice filly Extreme Diva a good third.
Manaal was second at her first run back from a spell to Lady of Camelot in the Group III ATC Widden Stakes and has now had three starts for two wins with prizemoney topping $350,000.
“She’s had a month between runs so was a touch fresh in the race and wanted to over travel a bit, but she does have a bit of attitude,” said Michael Freedman.
“It’s great to get that out of the way and if she pulls up well we can look at the Slipper.
“I think three weeks into a Slipper for her would be ideal and if it’s a high pressure race that’s going to suit her as she’s not a jump and run type, she’s more of a sit back and sprint.”
Bred and retained to race by Emirates Park, Manaal is the best of three winners from Midshipman mare Red Lodge (USA), a stakes-winning half-sister to stakes-winner Good Like Magic and a granddaughter of the exceptional dual Group I winner Memories Of Silver.
Red Lodge has produced fillies by I Am Invincible and Zoustar in her past two seasons and is now in foal to Storm Boy’s sire Justify (USA).
Tassort has made a pleasing start to his stud career at Newgate with four winners from 14 starters plus another stakes horse in Ad Astra and was super popular last spring covering 232 mares at a fee of $11,000.
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