With Al Maher being an established successful sire, we can examine the pedigrees of his best performed runners to determine to which elements of his pedigrees mares are responding – a good technique for predicting future success.
A direct descendant of TORPENHOW via taproot mare BEST IN SHOW, Al Maher also carries Nijinsky II through a daughter, his second damsire, Dancing Show. This is also the family of REDOUTE’S CHOICE (his three-quarter brother), DOMESDAY, MANHATTAN RAIN, RUBICK, FAR NORTH, NEW REGENT, HURRICANE SKY, XAAR, FREE AMERICA, FRIENDLY RELATION, RULER, MASTERCLASS, EL GRAN SENOR and TRY MY BEST. Al Maher has already produced Group winners from mares reinforcing this line, particularly with mares carrying sons of NIJINSKY II, creating a sex balanced duplication. Gr 2 winner MAJESTIC MUSIC and Listed winner BIGELOW (both out of ROYAL ACADEMY mares) and Listed winning full siblings DANCE WITH HER and SON OF MAHER (by TIGHTS) have Nijinsky II up close.
Al Maher’s best earner to-date, the dual Gr 1 winner DELICACY, is a daughter of SCENIC. This damsire has also produced stakes winners AMOVATIO and BECERRA with Al Maher. He is a son of SADLER’S WELLS, a member of the GOODY TWO SHOES family. Other stakes winners produced from mares carrying this line include daughters of ENCOSTA DE LAGO and tail female family member, GEIGER COUNTER. Apart from Sadler’s Wells’ brothers TATE GALLERY and FAIRY KING (sire of ENCOSTA DE LAGO, FALBRAV and HELISSIO) and three quarter brother NUREYEV, influences in mares such as THATCH, his son THATCHING (present in PHEIDON), MEDAGLIA D’ORO, NORTHERN METEOR, PERUGINO, LORENZACCIO, YEATS, INFLATE, CAMPO CATINO, TOPSIDER, FESTIVAL HALL and OPEN DAY are appealing for Al Maher.
Al Maher carries LA TROIENNE family members Don’t Say Halo and Buckpasser. CAERLEON (grandsire of Gr 3 winner MARHETA’s dam), MORE THAN READY, WOODMAN, CONGRATS, PRIVATE ACCOUNT, NOBLE BIJOU, BELONG TO ME, RHYTHM, BUPERS, FRANCIS S, HOOK MONEY, CORNISH PRINCE, MR. BUSHER, PARDAL, POKER, JET ACTION, BEAU BRUMMEL, THE AXE II, ARDAN and BIMELECH are other LA TROIENNE family members to seek in matings.
Stakes winning sisters SPEEDY NATALIE and SILVERSTREAM are out of a BROCCO mare.
KENMARE has had success with Al Maher, his daughter producing Listed winning sprinter, BUDDY BUNDY. Sons such as KELTRICE, KENFAIR, METAL STORM, TRIBU and VERGLAS may suit Al Maher.
A son of Danehill, Al Maher also carries Halo and a duplication of fellow ALMAHMOUD family member, Northern Dancer. Broodmares with other ALMAHMOUD descendants such as WAY OF LIGHT, MACHIAVELLIAN (sire of MEDAGLIA D’ORO, STREET CRY, VETTORI and NO EXCEUSE NEEDED), ESPERERO, EXIT TO NOWHERE, CANNONADE, CATRAIL, EL MOXIE, YOUTHFUL LEGS, L’EMIGRANT and ARCTIC TERN in their pedigrees provide significant reinforcement for Al Maher. Gr 2 winner BADAWIYA is out of a daughter of FUKIKISEKI (a grandson Halo) who has Danehill as her damsire, thereby creating a sex balanced duplication of this influence.
AL Maher has worked with mares by other Danzig line sires, namely SNAADEE (Gr 1 winner FAT AL), DESERT PRINCE (Gr 2 winner ALL LEGAL) and CHIEF’S CROWN (Gr 3 winner MADAM GANGSTER).
Mares carrying Star Kingdom have also worked very well with Al Maher, particularly mares carrying CANNY LAD, whose daughters have produced three stakes winners by Al Maher. This may be because Canny Lad’s sire BLETCHINGLY is from the same family as Danzig, Al Maher’s grandsire. Other sources of Star Kingdom include BUREAUCRACY, COVETOUS, ST COVET (damsire of Gr 2 winner BUDRIGUEZ), HURRICANE SKY, KENNY’S BEST PAL, MARSCAY (damsire of Gr 2 winner OASIS BLOOM), TODMAN and SHIFNAL.
Unsurprisingly for a Danehill son, MR. PROSPECTOR line mares have experienced success with Al Maher. A SECRET SAVINGS mare produced Gr 1 winner FRIENDS OF KA YING, while daughters of GEIGER COUNTER and BELLOTTO have also been prominent. Mares by sires including FUSAICHI PEGASUS, HUSSONET, RHYTHM, STRAIGHT STRIKE, STREET CRY, UNBRIDLED’S SONG, KINGMAMBO, E DUBAI, DISTORTED HUMOR, THUNDER GULCH, VETTORI, or carrying WOODMAN, FAPPIANO or MACHIAVELLIAN are candidates.
Like Mr. Prospector, ZOFFANY (by Our Native) is from the Raise A Native sire line. His daughter Damzelle Pedrille has produced Gr 1 winner DIAMOND DRILLE and her sister M’LADY PEDRILLE. It would be interesting to put I AM INVINCIBLE mares to Al Maher, as he is from the same female family as Damzelle Pedrille.
The STORM BIRD line has also experienced plenty of success with Al Maher. From this sire line, PRINCE OF BIRDS, TALE OF THE CAT and HENNESSY mares have produced stakes winners, while BLUEBIRD and HOLD THAT TIGER mares have stakes place getters by Al Maher. Other damsires from this line include GIANT’S CAUSEWAY and his son SHAMARDAL, VAN NISTELROOY, STATUE OF LIBERTY, MUKADDAMAH, BLACK MINNALOUSHE and HIGH YIELD.
Creation of a sex balanced duplication of Sir Ivor will be achieved with mares carrying SIR TRISTRAM, who has a great record with Danehill sires. Sources include KAAPSTAD, LONHRO, DENMAN, MARAUDING, MILITARY PLUME, OCTAGONAL and ZABEEL.
Written April 2017
