Opening his account with a debut win at Vaal in South Africa on Thursday was two year-old Starspangledbanner colt Najem Suhail.
Trained by Mike de Kock and carrying the colours of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Najem Suhail made the pace and kept going to win the 1000 metre juvenile maiden by more than a length.
A $100,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Gilgai Farm branch for Form Bloodstock, Najem Suhail was bred by Gilgai and is the first winner for Group III winning Invincible Spirit (IRE) winner Sophie’s Spirit.
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Sophie’s Spirit was on-sold by Gilgai Farm at the Inglis Great Southern Sale last year where she was picked up for just $45,000 by Jilly Henderson’s Noogee Park Thoroughbreds.
She produced colt by Choisir’s Group I winning son Divine Prophet last spring and is back in foal to him again.
Starspangledbanner stands at Rosemont Stud this spring at a fee of $19,800.