Blue hen Al Anood has called it a day at age 21 and was retired from stud duties earlier this year, but she added a new winner to her tally on Tuesday at Kilmore and with two precious fillies born in 2023 and 2024 her legacy remains a work in progress.
Three year-old American Pharoah (USA) gelding Vaafee broke his maiden for the David and Coral Feek stable over 1450m with a tenacious effort that saw him score by a head.
Originally a $200,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Segenhoe for Snowden Racing / William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA), he was not up to scratch for a Sydney metro stable and found himself on Inglis Digital last year where he was bought for $22,500.
With two placings and a win from four starts for his new connections, Vaafee has already won back his purchase price.
Bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, Vaafee is a half-brother to dual Group I winning sire Pride of Dubai, Champion South African Stayer and Group II winner Enaad and stakes-winners Al Aneed and Ghaanati.
He is the eighth winner from nine foals to race from stakes-placed Danehill mare Al Anood, a half-sister to Group I French Oaks winner Rafha, best known as the dam of champion sire Invincible Spirit.
Al Anood’s dam Eljazzi has spawned an incredible dynasty of Group winners that includes 2020 Champion European 3YO Mishriff, 2019 Champion US Turf Mare Uni, 2019 Champion European 2YO Colt Pinatubo and interestingly last Saturday’s super exciting import Sir Delius (IRE), who is being aimed towards the Melbourne Cup.
While Al Anood is looking to retirement after producing her final two foals, a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) and a weanling filly by Home Affairs, it’s all just beginning for her blue-blood daughter Ghanaati.
Al Anood was sent to the Northern Hemisphere in 2016 to be mated with leading sires up there and produced two fillies in a row by Dubawi before being returned to Australia in foal to Japanese legend Deep Impact with Ghanaati the result of that mating.
A multiple Group placed stakes-winner, Ghanaati was retained to race and went to stud last spring with Zoustar her chosen partner…. That’s going to be a foal to look forward to!
Another daughter of Al Anood that was retained and retired to stud last year is Jawharat Dubai (Lonhro) and she is due to foal to Shinzo.
