Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Emirates Park, owned by His Excellency Nasser Lootah, is having a wonderful run with their third G1 Golden Slipper winner in Marhoona (Snitzel) last season, and a broodmare band that continues to produce outstanding racehorses.
The farm has been around since the 1980s, and Nasser has recently been joined by his son Hussain, who races in his own green colours, combining to continue the quality output by the farm.
“It was great. To see the boss’s colours and Hussain’s colours winning races, that's what we're here for,” said General Manager Bryan Carlson.
Bryan Carlson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Marhoona breaks the Slipper curse
Marhoona resumed on Saturday to win the Listed Heritage Stakes for trainer Michael Freedman.
“That was only her fourth start and she hasn't even been racing for 10 months, so to do what she's done so far, it's pretty good.”
When asked about the Slipper curse, Carlson said, “You've got it in the back of your mind because Mossfun and Estijaab didn't come back, but I know they had genuine reasons. It’s good to get her back to the races and win first up. Now we can realistically put it behind us and move on.”
Marhoona | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Emirates Park purchased their two other G1 Golden Slipper winners Mossfun (Mossman) and Estijaab (Snitzel) at the yearling sales, while Marhoona is a home bred for the farm. Mossfun had four starts as an autumn 3-year-old, placing in the G3 Birthday Card Stakes. Similarly, Estijaab had three starts as an autumn 3-year-old, placing first up in the Inglis 3YO Sprint.
Marhoona’s dam, unraced 16-year-old mare Salma (Encosta De Lago) has been a fantastic broodmare for Emirates Park, having produced four stakes winners from six live foals. Her others are G2 Stan Fox Stakes winner and multiple times Group 1-placed Hilal, who is at stud in New Zealand, Listed Nudgee Stakes winner Salateen (I Am Invincible), who was also Group 2-placed, and South African Listed winner Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch {Ire}).
Salateen | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Unfortunately, she hasn’t had a foal since Marhoona, having missed three years in succession.
“She’s been covered by Anamoe already.”
“The progeny I’ve seen by Anamoe are very good, and I think physically and on pedigree, it’s a good mating. It’s also because she’s a difficult breeder, and he’s a good, fertile stallion.”
Group 3 winner Marboosha (Dream Ahead {USA}) also visits Anamoe. “We have a nice I Am Invincible from her named Bashoosha who is spelling.”
Bashoosha, a 2-year-old filly, is with Peter Snowden and is the first foal of Marboosha who had a Brave Smash (Jpn) filly this spring.
Manaal wins the Golden Pendant
Consistent 4-year-old Manaal (Tassort) became Tassort’s first Group 1 winner when she won the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at two. She added further Group wins at three, and this spring she resumed in the G3 WW Cockram Stakes, then won the G2 Sherco Stakes second up. At her third start this spring, on Saturday, she won the G2 Golden Pendant Stakes for trainer Michael Freedman. She has won six of her 15 starts and over $1.9 million.
“Manaal has been great for us. She’s now won at two, three and four. She’s very exciting. Her dam, Red Lodge, was covered by Stay Inside yesterday.”
Manaal | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Red Lodge (USA) (Midshipman {USA}) was a stakes winner in America, and Emirates Park went to US$500,000 (AU$750,000) to buy her as a breeding prospect at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Sale. Manaal is her third foal and her first two foals are winners.
Her current 3-year-old Rajwa (I Am Invincible), a stablemate to Manaal, ran fourth on debut in August. Sadly, her Zoustar 2-year-old died, but she has a Justify (USA) yearling colt. “He's a lovely colt and most likely will go to the Magic Millions (Gold Coast) sale.”
Another Group 1 for Charm Stone
Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) is the pin-up girl for Emirates Park’s yearling drafts, having been sold by them at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $1.55 million to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) for $1.55 million. With two Group 1 victories, she has racetrack earnings over $2.56 million.
The recent sale of a 10% share via Inglis Digital for $310,000 to Walnut Farm valued her at $3.1 million before her win.
Charm Stone | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Dual Group 3 winner Najoom (Northern Meteor) produced dual Listed winner Najmaty (I Am Invincible) with her first foal, and Charm Stone with her second. Her next, 4-year-old mare Manaajem (Tassort) is a winner, while 3-year-old filly Nazwah (Capitalist) was a winner at two last season. Najoom has a yearling filly by I Am Invincible and foaled a colt to Tassort this spring.
“At this stage, she’s going to Home Affairs.”
Slipper winners off to Too Darn Hot
“We’ve got a few going to Too Darn Hot, Stay Inside, and a few to Anamoe. We are also supporting Brave Smash and Tassort, who we have shares in.”
Both Emirates Park’s other Slipper winners are going to Too Darn Hot (GB). “They aren’t similar types, not physically, no. They are opposite types. Mossfun needs a bit of refining down, and Too Darn Hot can do that. And Estijaab has neat quality types every time, so she works with Too Darn Hot too.”
Purchased by Emirates Park from Arrowfield Stud at the 2017 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $1.7million, Estijaab (Snitzel) won three of her seven starts and over $2.5million. Her first foal, Ejaabiyah (GB) (Frankel {GB}), is a stakes placed winner. Her 3-year-old filly Ertijaaj (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is placed, and then she came home to Australia in foal to Gun Runner (USA), producing a colt who has just turned two.
Estijaab | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
He’s been named Arms Trader, and was bought by PR Thoroughbreds for $500,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is in work with Ciaron Maher. Estijaab had a Tassort filly this spring.
Mossfun (Mossman) who won the Golden Slipper in 2014, and is now a 14-year-old mare, has been a good broodmare, producing Group 3 winner Dajraan (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as her second foal. Her current 3-year-old filly Mamlaka (Capitalist) is unraced, and she has both a 2-year-old filly and foal by Tassort, while her yearling is colt by Justify (USA).
Mossfun | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The other mare going to Too Darn Hot is Group 2 winner Shumookh (Dream Ahead {USA}) who placed in the G1 Surround Stakes. Her first foal, Shakeela (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is a winner, while she has an I Am Invincible 3-year-old colt, Tassort 2-year-old colt and recently foaled filly by Tassort.
A couple of juveniles to watch
Emirates will send their home-bred Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem) to I Am Invincible this season. Sadly, her 2024 foal by Extreme Choice died and she is yet to foal this season to dual matings to Harry Angel (Ire) and Brave Smash (Jpn).
Liwa was trained by Simon Miller for Emirates Park and won three of her 16 starts including the Listed Supremacy S. and Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (which used to be run at Group 3 level). Emirates Park also bred Liwa’s dam Sboog (Redoute’s Choice) who is the dam of G3 Chairman’s S. winner Coleman (Pierata).
Liwa's first foal, 2-year-old filly Agrarian Girl (Tassort), was purchased by juvenile specialists Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, along with Kestrel Thoroughbreds, for $280,000 from Emirates Park’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft.
Agrarian Girl as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Carlson also mentioned home-bred filly, Naadra (Tassort) as one to watch in the next few months, who is in the stable of Michael Freedman. Her 3-year-old half-sister Naifah (I Am Invincible) placed in last season’s Listed Cinderella Stakes at her second start for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
Their dam is Najmah (Snitzel), a city-winning half-sister to Charm Stone and Najmaty.
