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Fifth Group One winner for Stockwell Thoroughbreds-based Al Maher

The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye (4 g ex Confidential Queen by Shamardal) handled the step up in class becoming Group One winner number five for the Stockwell Thoroughbreds-based sire Al Maher (Danehill) when he landed the Epsom (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick.

Having his first start at Group One Level, Private Eye beat Aramayo (Poet’s Voice) by a head, with Dalasan (Dalakhani) a close third. 

While he has captured two Doncaster Miles, Pride hadn't won an Epsom but felt Private Eye had the perfect profile to break his duck. 

"You need luck in these Epsoms. They are hard to win but it all panned out beautifully and he has got an engine this horse. He's a ripper," Pride said. 

"When he won first-up, he signalled to me that day he had come back bigger and better than ever. 

"In his last two starts, it just hasn't worked out for him, but I knew in an Epsom, they are high-pressure races and it would suit him." 

Bred by Goodwood Farm, Private Eye was bought by Proven Thoroughbreds and Pride Thoroughbreds for $62,500 at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale when offered by Ambergate Stud. He has gone on to win eight times and place once in 13 career starts and almost $1.4 million in prize money. 

He is out of the unplaced Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Confidential Queen who has produced one other winner. Private Eye’s third dam is Snippets’ Lass (Snippets), dam of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice). 

Al Maher’s fee is advertised at $8,800 (inc GST), the same fee that he has stood at for the past two years. He has sired 36 stakes winners to date with his other Group One winners being Delicacy, Almalad, Fat Al and Diamond Drille. 

Shamardal’s daughters have produced 66 stakes winners to date and Private Eye becomes the eighth Group One winner out of a Shamardal mare, joining Hello Youmzain, Althiqa, Awtaad, Pretty Pollyanna, Mighty High, Latrobe and Converge.