Marju (12 March 1988 – 11 October 2016) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire.
Background Marju was a dark bay or brown horse bred by Kilcarn Stud and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. He was sired by Last Tycoon out of Flame of Tara. He was a half-brother to Group One winner Salsabil.
Marju's sire Last Tycoon was a European champion sprinter and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile, the King's Stand Stakes, and the William Hill Sprint Championship, as well as being crowned English Champion Sprinter and French Champion Sprinter in 1986. He was a successful sire, siring Ezzoud, Bigstone, and successful sire O'Reilly. Flame of Tara was a group two winning mare in England and Ireland, as well as being the dam of Irish Derby winning filly Salsabil.
Racing career Trained by John Dunlop, Marju raced 7 times during his career and was ridden by Willie Carson each time. He won 3 races including the Craven Stakes and the St. James's Palace Stakes, as well as finishing second to Generous in the 1991 Epsom Derby. He won a total prize money of £282,640.
Stud record Retired to stud duty at Derrinstown Stud, Ireland in 1992, Marju was shuttled to New Zealand in 2000 and to Australia in 2001-02, and pensioned at Derrinstown Stud, Ireland in 2011. He sired 61 stakes winners, including Soviet Song, My Emma, Sil Sila, Satono Crown, Viva Pataca and Indigenous. He is the grandsire of Ramonti, Tastiera and Not So Sleepy. Marju died of natural causes at his owner's Derrinstown Stud in Ireland on 11 October 2016.
Notable progeny
Marju has sired 12 individual Group 1 winners, as well as being a successful broodmare sire.
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Foaled Name Sex Major wins 1993 Indigenous g Champions & Chater Cup, Hong Kong Gold Cup 1997 D'Anjou g Amethyst Stakes 2000 Soviet Song f Fillies' Mile, Ridgewood Pearl Stakes, Falmouth Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Matron Stakes, Windsor Forest Stakes 2001 Temple Hills g Eagle Technology Stakes 2002 Viva Pataca g Hong Kong Gold Cup, Champions & Chater Cup, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, International Cup Trial, Sha Tin Trophy 2002 Marju Snip f Australasian Oaks 2004 Fanjura g Easter Cup 2005 Chinchon c Prix Exbury 2005 Watar c Prix Maurice De Nieuil 2005 Raydiya f Lenebane Stakes 2006 Spirit of Sport g Premio Botticelli 2007 Bethrah f Irish 1000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas Trial 2007 Green Destiny g Strensall Stakes 2009 Lightening Pearl f Chevley Park Stakes 2012 Satono Crown c Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes, Kyoto Kinen, Hong Kong Vase, Takarazuka Kinen
Pedigree
Marju is inbred 4 × 5 to Princequillo, meaning that this stallion appears once in the fourth generation of his pedigree and once in the fifth. Marju is also inbred 5 × 5 to both Nearco and Hyperion, meaning that they both appear twice in the fifth generation of his pedigree.
References