Ameena becomes Tassort’s latest star
Ameena (Tassort) became the second stakes winner for her hot young sire with a storming victory in Saturday’s Silver Shadow Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) for three-year-old fillies at Randwick.
Favourite backers will have felt it was the wrong daughter of Tassort (Brazen Beau), the wrong homebred of his owners Emirates Park, and the wrong Freedman training camp who scored.
But in a frantic finish it was Anthony and Sam Freedman’s $4.80 second elect Ameena bursting home to grab victory on the line, while Michael Freedman’s $2.05 favourite Manaal (Tassort) had to settle for third.
Ameena did it the hard way to boot.
Jumping from gate ten of 12, she was trapped three wide early before James McDonald opted to ease far back to settle fifth-last, one off the fence.
Ameena was then blocked for a run in the first 150 metres of the straight while the on-pacers in Godolphin outsider Silmarillion (Too Darn Hot) and Manaal made for home.
She was still four lengths off Silmarillion once into the clear at the 250-metre mark, but under vigorous riding from McDonald she stormed through the middle of the chasing pack to nab her quarry on the line, with Manaal a further 0.13 lengths away in third.
The win gave Ameena three wins from five starts, with comfortable victories at Bendigo and Caulfield Heath followed by a second in Flemington’s Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and her only failure when ninth in Randwick’s Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) in April.
And she follows Manaal – a triple black type winner including of the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) – into the ranks of Tassort’s stakes victors.
The eight-year-old stallion, bought on a gamble by Emirates Park after his racing career for Godolphin was truncated by injury to just two starts for a blistering win and a second, has made a dynamic beginning to life at stud.
Standing at Newgate Farm, he finished second on the first-season sires’ table and fifth among two-year-old sires last season. He’s now made a strong start to 2024-25, with two winners from six runners. Little wonder his service fee has leapt to $38,500 (inc GST) for the coming spring, after his first four years at $11,000 (inc GST).
Anthony Freedman said Ameena had blossomed after wintering in Queensland.
“We took quite a few up to Queensland this year, which worked well for us,” he said. “The winters are much harsher in Melbourne, so we like to get the better ones away.
“She came here and presented well today. There was enough speed for her to finish off.
“She won her first two starts, leading or right on pace, but I’ve never really thought that [on Saturday] is how she would race, so it opens up some options for her.”
McDonald concurred on Ameena’s development, saying she’d “come on immensely” from when he rode her in the Sykes.
Ameena is very much an all-Emirates affair, with her first three dams also bred by the farm.
She’s the third foal – all fillies – out of Emaan (Harbour Watch), who also has Ameena’s yearling sister, and was covered last spring by Dubious (Not A Single Doubt).
Emaan’s dam Boom Time Savings (Secret Savings) didn’t win in five starts but came close to stakes success. She ran fourth in a Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m), second in the Reisling Slipper Trial (Gr 2, 1200m) and – like Tassort – was also runner-up in the Silver Slipper (Gr 2, 1200m).
Anthony Freedman also joked he might have worn out his welcome with his host in Sydney – brother Michael.
“I think Michael will send me home,” he said. “I’m living with him at the moment and he’s already told me it’s my shout.”
Under a bonus from race sponsor Darley, Ameena’s winning breeders Emirates Park have now won a free nomination to Darley stallion Golden Mile (Astern), who’s standing his first season at Northwood this spring for $16,500 (inc GST).