Marooned is back in the news with Adam Durrant’s up-and-coming sprinter Epirb.

Epirb was conceived a month before Marooned died in November 2006.  The Lark Hill based galloper is just one of two foals from his final crop.

Epirb (4h Marooned – Tessa Mahal by Kaapstad) is unbeaten this season after scoring a soft victory in the Gate Bar and Bistro Hcp (1000m) at Pinjarra on Wednesday.  He had won at Northam and Kalgoorlie in September before going out for a break.

“He had a suspensory injury early on and had to be nursed along,” Durrant said.  “But he’s definitely above average.”

Marooned (Mill Reef) was imported to Australia by Robert Sangster to win the 1986 Sydney Cup in a cakewalk.  He retired to Tilden Park the following year and, in a stop-start career at stud, has sired 179 winners of 601 races at a 70% strike rate.

In his first few seasons, Marooned was used almost exclusively by Tilden Park owner Dallas Dempster.  And in 1991, he was taken out of service after suffering a severe scrotum injury in a paddock accident.

Marooned has sired 18 stakes winners led by the G1 Railway Stakes winners Hardrada and Island Morn.  He has also been an influence as a broodmare sire through G1 winners Miss Andretti and Special Harmony.

Epirb is the second winner for Tilden Park bred mare Tessa Mahal.  His older half-sister Like Wildfire (Belong To Me) is also in training with Durrant and she has won races at Ascot (2), Bunbury (2) and Pinjarra.

They are Sunspeed members of the celebrated Eight Carat family.