Renowned stud master Mike Becker from Stockwell Thoroughbreds is excited to announce that proven stallion Al Maher is heading down to Victoria to stand at the Diggers Rest based operation this season.
Bred and raced by Emirates Park, Al Maher was one of the star three-year-olds of his generation, winning the Group 1 Australian Guineas.
"We have been petitioning Emirates Park over the years to send him down to us, as he is just beautifully placed here in Victoria." Mike Becker said.
"He is a proven producer of stakes and group performers, with 34 individual stakes performers and four heralded Group 1 winners. Coupled with a blue blood pedigree, he stamps his stock and produces great types, highly regarded by the best judges," Becker said.
Stockwell has had a strong and fruitful association with Emirates Park for many years, and the partnership between the two continues to grow.
"We lease the property from Emirates and have had a successful relationship for a long time that works beautifully to everyone's benefit. It gives us the freedom to grow and move back into the business of standing stallions," Becker said.
"In my opinion he is the most underrated stallion in Australia for the last five or six years with what he has done on the racetrack and through the sales ring. He is a horse that we, like so many breeders, have always admired, and he ticks all the boxes."
In the twilight of his career, age is no boundary for the evergreen son of Danehill.
"Al Maher is still a brilliant breeder, highly fertile with a great libido. He can comfortably cover three mares a day and still positively hit 90% plus – he loves his job," Becker said.
"Having always been managed professionally throughout his stud career, he is a gentleman to work with and he will be a delight to have around the place. He is now proving himself as a broodmare sire with his daughters being very successful."
"He is not a high maintenance horse; a pretty chilled sort of customer and we are thrilled for all the Victorian breeders, that we finally got our hands on him."
"He will be well suited to the diverse group of broodmares residing in Victoria, who are free of Danehill blood, however the duplication of the Danehill line has also proven to work well. He has had top nicks with Canny Lad, Scenic and Royal Academy."
A three-quarter relation to Redoute's Choice, he is out of the blue-blooded Don't Say Halo mare, Show Dancing. She is a half-sister to Hurricane Sky, Umatilla, Makarova(Dam of Ruling Dynasty),Twyla (Dam of Murjana),Shantha's Choice(Dam of Manhattan Rain,Platinum Scissors, Redoute's Choice,Sliding Cube,Echoes Of Heaven), from the family of the mighty Best In Show.
His progeny includes two-time Group 1 winner and Champion three-year-old filly, Delicacy, and Group 1 Epsom winner Fat Al, Queen of the Turf filly, Diamond Drille and Champion two-year-old colt, Almalad. While recently Group 2 winner Son of Maher, Group 3 winners Silverstream and Monsieur Gustave and three-time stakes winner Money Maher are continuing to add to the already impressive list of performers on the track.
"Al Maher is a perennial source of winners, with many more to come. He will be suited to the Showdown market and will be a VOBIS Sire to make the most of his move down south."
"The only Al Maher colt sold at Premier on behalf of Rushton Park for $80,000 which is ten times his service fee in Victoria, and we expect to see a lot more Al Maher's going through the Victorian sales ring in the years to come. Consistently in demand, his yearlings in 2017 – 2018 had a clearance rate of over 93%," Becker said.
"He will be arriving shortly at the farm, and we welcome all breeders to come out to visit the stud for an inspection."
For the upcoming 2019 season Al Maher is competitively priced at $8000 plus GST to make him affordable and attractive to Victorian breeders.
Al Maher will stand at Stockwell Thoroughbreds alongside another proven champion racehorse and sire, Artie Schiller and the son of Fastnet Rock, Rock Sturdy. For more information please call Mike Becker on 0412 538 155 or Brodie Becker on 0437 788 434.
