Oohood sheds maiden tag in the Flight Stakes
In nine starts in stakes company before the Flight, Oohood had earned more than $1 million without winning a race, the bulk of her earnings coming from second placings in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) plus a third in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), so winning a Group 1 was not out of turn.
The Flight Stakes developed into a thrilling contest in the final stages with Oohood powering home to defeat Fiesta (I Am Invincible) by a half-head on the line with the much improved Nakeeta Jane (So You Think) a similar margin away in third place. Favourite Miss Fabulass (Frankel) was close up in fourth place, her winning chances ruined by pulling hard before hitting the front 300 metres from home. The race time was 1:34.74 with the last 600 metres covered in 34.60 on a day when tailwinds resulted in exceptionally fast times.
Yarraman Park Stud’s star sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) supplied the Flight Stakes quinella as part of a remarkable run he enjoyed over the weekend, which began the night before at Moonee Valley when his daughter Viddora captured her second Group 1 in the AJ Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m). Earlier on the card, another of his daughters I Am A Star, a previous Group 1 winner, won her eighth black type race in the Stocks Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m).
Also at Randwick on Saturday I Am Invincible supplied Sydney’s first two-year-old winner of the season when Catch Me scored impressively in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) in race record time. These successes have taken I Am Invincible to the top of the Australian general sires’ list at this point of the season, more than $1 million ahead of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), while he is also leading sire of individual winners.
Oohood is bred and raced by Dubai-based Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, the Minister of Land Affairs in his home country and a first cousin of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, head of the international Godolphin and Darley organisations.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who also breeds and races in Britain, the United States, South Africa and Argentina, has a growing operation in Australia with around 50 broodmares and about 70 horses of racing age.
He first came to prominence here through the deeds of his homebred, multiple Group 1 winner Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry), now standing at Coolmore in NSW and reverse shuttling to Ireland.
The Sheikh’s bloodstock manager in Australia, Tim Stakemire, bought Oohood’s dam Bella Sunday (Sunday Silence) for $130,000 at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale and she has proved an excellent investment.
A winner in Sydney, Bella Sunday has bred eight winners from eight foals to race, producing the three times stakes placegetter Breakfast In Bed (Hussonet), a winner of seven races and three in Sydney, for her previous owner.
Bella Sunday is a prolific breeder and still to come for her are a two-year-old filly by Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) and a yearling colt by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice). She is shortly due to foal to Sooboog (Snitzel) and is likely to be served this season by Coolmore newcomer Caravaggio (Scat Daddy).
From one of Australia’s elite families, Bella Sunday is a half-sister to leading sire Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) and other winners and producers of note tracing back to Easy Date (Grand Chaudiere), dam of top sprinter and influential sire Snippets (Lunchtime).
It is interesting to note that Oohood is bred on similar lines to three time Australian Group 1 winner Yosei (Invincible Spirit) whose sire is also father of I Am Invincible and whereas Oohood is out of a Sunday Silence (Halo) mare, Yosei’s dam Fuji Fairy is by Sunday Silence’s son Fuji Kiseki.
Oohood’s pedigree is essentially an outcross with only Northern Dancer (Nearctic) duplicated in her fifth generation via sons Danzig and Grand Chaudiere.