Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Injury-plagued mare Marabi is off to the breeding shed, following a short but incredibly successful career on the track. The daughter of I Am Invincible raced 10 times, winning her first seven starts, and bows out with earnings just north of $950,000. Among her victories are three stakes triumphs, including the 2022 G1 Oakleigh Plate.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Marabi was bred and raced by Greg Perry and is from the now-deceased Tiger Hill (Ire) mare Nakaaya, who Perry purchased and raced.
Speaking to The Thoroughbred Report on Thursday, Perry said Marabi was a top-class mare, one that provided him with one of his greatest moments in racing.
David Eustace and Greg Perry | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She did a wonderful job, she won her first seven starts and a Group 1,” Perry said.
“Unfortunately, the last six or nine months haven’t been the best, she’s got a couple of duck eggs on her record there at the end, but she’s done her job.
“She was exceptional, I know I’m biased, but she was lightning quick.
“She’s rising seven, she’s had a great innings and it’s time to go to the breeding barn.”
Owing to immaturity, Marabi was a late starter, making her debut as a 4-year-old at Pakenham in February 2021. She experienced a number of ailments during her career.
“She was very immature to begin with and her knees needed time to develop,” he explained. “She broke a wing off her hip when she was three. Ciaron said it was probably the making of her because her knees had fully matured.
“She also had some feet issues at one point, but we got those right early on, and she strung all those wins together.”
On the back of a dominant victory in the G2 Australia S. at The Valley in January 2022, Marabi was sent out an odds-on favourite for the G1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield. After drawing perfectly in barrier two, Marabi stalked the leader Malkovich (Choisir), before unleashing a powerful sprint. She took over at the top of the lane and dashed away under Ben Allen, much to the delight of her connections and favourite backers.
“It was a very special day, they don’t come along too often,” Perry commented.
“It (winning the G1 Oakleigh Plate) was a very special day, they don’t come along too often.” - Greg Perry
“You go there hoping… I just think she demonstrated superior speed. When Malkovich took off, she was just jogging behind him.”
From there, it was another Group 1 assignment, this time the William Reid S. at The Valley. Marabi was again the punters’ elect, but could only manage fifth. Subsequent scans revealed another issue.
“After winning the Oakleigh Plate, she ran in the (G1) William Reid Stakes and she came out of that with chips in both fetlocks. I thought that would be stumps for her, but my vet operated on and she came back as good as ever,” said Perry.
Marabi (pink and pale blue striped silks) winning the G1 Oakleigh Plate | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Having missed the spring, Marabi returned this autumn, racing first-up in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. She showed her usual dash, leading the field until the 500-metre mark, until her condition gave way.
The mare then contested the G1 Robert Sangster S. in Adelaide, in what would be her final appearance. A Heavy track put paid to her chances.
“She was probably above herself in the Lightning and that showed in the run,” Perry said.
“She (Marabi) was probably above herself in the Lightning and that showed in the run.” - Greg Perry
“We decided to persevere, I thought there was nothing in one sense to be lost.
“Her work before the Sangster was really good, but then the rain came and we got the Heavy track. (Jockey) Ben (Allen) said she was skidding through it, she wouldn’t let go on it.”
Perry admitted there had been times throughout Marabi’s career that he thought about offering her at a broodmare sale.
“I still think about that today,” he quipped. “It has gone through my mind on more than one occasion.”
“I still think about that today (offering her at a broodmare sale). It has gone through my mind on more than one occasion.” - Greg Perry
And while he will retain her for now, he claims that may change in time.
“She’s a very valuable commodity and options are open, which is good,” Perry added.
“If you get offered crazy money, you have to consider it.”
Where it started
At the 2008 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Perry loved the pedigree of Lot 451 - a filly from the Carramar Park draft by Tiger Hill out of the winning Marwina mare Duchess Talaria. The filly’s third dam was the multiple stakes winner Princess Talaria (Dignitas {USA}).
Perry was walking around with (trainer) Cliff Brown and was keen to get his thoughts on the filly.
“I said to him, ‘Can we just go and check this one out?’, as she traces to Princess Talaria and she was a great mare in the late 1970s for Tommy Smith. He took one look and said, ‘You’ve got to buy her, Greg’, so we did, we paid $60,000 for her,” Perry explained.
“Cliff was training in Singapore at the time, so I gave her to Mick Price to train.”
Nakaaya bolted in on debut at Ballarat in 2009 - one of five wins she would notch in a 12-start career. Her peak performance was her win in the G2 Sunline S. at The Valley in 2011, where she touched off the very good mare Lady Lynette (Ladoni {GB}) - a multiple stakes victress.
Nakaaya (navy cap) on her way to winning the G2 Sunline S. | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Nakaaya’s first foal - a colt by Congrats (USA) - was sold to Singapore. Named Jobodwana, he won two races before a knee injury ended his career.
The mare’s second foal was a filly by More Than Ready (USA) and raced under the name Zolani. She raced 12 times, chalking up three wins.
Nakaaya hit the jackpot with her third foal, a filly by Lonhro. Offered by Vinery Stud at the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, she was knocked down to First Light Racing / Ellerton Zahra / Paul Willetts Bloodstock for $80,000. As history shows, she would be given the name Aristia and on November 8 in 2018 she took out the G1 VRC Oaks.
Aristia has a Zoustar colt on the ground and was covered by Maurice (Jpn) last spring.
Aristia winning the G1 VRC Oaks | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Nakaaya, meanwhile, has had two more foals to the races since Aristia - Ruddock (Written Tycoon) and Siteki (Flying Artie), with the former winning three of his 10 starts before he was retired.
Sadly, Nakaaya died in a paddock in September 2020.
“It’s a pretty nice little family,” said Perry.
“Before she died, Nakaaya produced two Group 1 winners; one won an Oaks and the other an Oakleigh Plate, so that’s pretty special.”
The future
Perry is currently weighing up which stallion to send her to. He said he has a few options in mind and won’t rush a decision.
“Shamus Award isn’t too bad a mating and funnily enough she doesn’t match too badly with Artorius, so he’s under consideration,” said Perry, who bred and sold Artorius. “It’s not a thing you normally do with a good mare, you would usually go to a proven stallion.
Shamus Award | Standing at Rosemont Stud
“Night Of Thunder I thought would be a good mating for her, but he hasn’t travelled back here.
“I’ll just wait and see, I’ve got a bit of time up my sleeve.”
