Mehmas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mehmas Sons Head Middle Park Market

First-season sire sensation Mehmas (Ire) has come to dominate that category since racing’s wheels began turning in June and it is fitting that he is responsible for three of the big four favourites for Saturday’s G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket. Tally-Ho Stud’s son of Acclamation (GB), who was third in this race on his racecourse finale in 2016, has Method (Ire), Minzaal (Ire) and Supremacy (Ire) with all three coming into the six-furlong feature on the back of impressive wins in black-type company at the trip. Manton Park Racing’s Method is the only unbeaten of the trio, having brushed aside the subsequent G2 Prix du Calvados winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) by 4 1/4 lengths at Doncaster on June 26 before dishing out another sound beating to the eventual G3 Sirenia S. scorer Mighty Gurkha (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) in Newbury’s Listed Rose Bowl S. on July 18. Method’s trainer Martyn Meade is keeping a close eye on the skies. “Everything that we can control I’ve been delighted with, but the one thing we can’t–the weather–may scupper us,” he said on Friday. “I really want to run him, because there’s nothing else for him–he’s not in the Dewhurst and I’d want to keep him over six furlongs anyway–but I wouldn’t want him pulled about on heavy ground.”

It would take a lot of rain to turn the ground heavy on the Rowley Mile and Meade’s fears may prove unfounded. “Newmarket can dry quickly and it is very windy–I just hope they don’t have any more of those downpours,” he added. “This has always been the plan and earlier in the week I thought the ground would be perfect for him. This is the one we’ve been aiming at, but I just don’t want to risk him on extreme ground. I’ve been pleased watching most of the others have hard races while we were always coming straight here–so he’s had a lovely break, been freshened up and hopefully we get to run him.”

Despite occupying favouritism at present, Method has a jump to make to get to Shadwell’s Minzaal and Jason Goddard’s Supremacy on form. Minzaal followed an impressive Salisbury novice success on Aug. 9 with an emphatic score in York’s G2 Gimcrack S. on Aug. 21, while Supremacy went from a 3 3/4-length Windsor maiden win on July 6 to a four-length verdict in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood on July 30. Minzaal’s trainer Owen Burrows said, “It looks a red-hot race, the best of the crop really and it was always going to be. Fingers crossed, we are going there with every chance. We knew straight after York this would be his race–I wasn’t tempted by anything else and timing-wise it has been perfect. There was plenty of rain before racing on Thursday and the jocks are saying it is riding a bit dead. I’d imagine it will be very similar ground to what it was in the Gimcrack, just on the soft side of good–no excuses for anybody, I shouldn’t think. We’ll learn a bit more about him and we’ll see how good he is.”

Trainer Clive Cox said of Supremacy, “He was an exciting winner of the Richmond and he’s had a healthy break in between there and here. He’s shown us plenty of class, but has physically progressed since Goodwood and we’re very much looking forward to seeing him perform here.”

If the winner comes from outside the “Mehmas three”, it is most likely to be Zhang Yuesheng’s Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who was firmly in command in The Curragh’s G1 Phoenix S. on Aug. 9. Jessie Harrington’s leading colt was successful by 3 1/2 lengths there, with Qatar Racing’s June 19 G2 Norfolk S. scorer The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) being promoted to second from third. Unlucky when fifth in the seven-furlong G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. back there on Sept. 13, he sits comfortably among the elite of his generation. “It would be fair to say his last race didn’t go to plan, but we don’t need to say any more about that,” Harrington said. “Prior to that, he was very impressive in the Phoenix S. and on that form he should have a good chance. I wouldn’t imagine we’ll be using the ground as an excuse–he’s pretty versatile and it shouldn’t be bottomless. We haven’t done much with him since the National, just kept him ticking over. We’re looking for a big run.”

Dandalla Puts Unbeaten Record On The Line

Juddmonte also sponsors the G1 Cheveley Park S. in which the fillies pursue the title of champion headed by Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke’s unbeaten Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). Successful in the G3 Albany S. by six lengths at Royal Ascot on June 19, the bay was deemed initially disappointing when just edging the aforementioned Fev Rover and Santosha (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. on the July Course here on July 10 but subsequent events have shown that form in a different light. Trainer Karl Burke is full of confidence.

“We couldn’t be happier with her. She’s ready to run and hopefully she’ll do herself justice,” he said. “It took her a little while to come to herself [after the Duchess of Cambridge], but the last month has been very good. I think the bit of rain they’ve had will help, although she is a good-actioned filly and we were surprised how well she handled the ground at Ascot. I don’t think she’s ground-dependent. It’s going to be an exciting race, with some nice Irish fillies coming over, but you want to be taking on the best in these races. We’re looking forward to running our filly–hopefully she can prove us right.”

One of the Irish contingent that Burke was referring to is Doreen Tabor’s recent acquisition Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who upset the June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G2 Lowther S. over this trip at York on Aug. 20. They finished clear of Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi’s Sept. 19 G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the process and Miss Amulet’s trainer Ken Condon has a strong clutch of 2-year-olds in 2020. “She’s a very progressive filly. I thought it was a good performance at York and she’s done very well since,” he said. “She needs to step up again, but all the signs are good. She deserves to take her chance in a Group 1 now and we’re looking forward to it.”

In an open renewal, the McMurray Family’s Happy Romance (Ire) adds another string to the bow of Ballyhane Stud’s Dandy Man having beaten Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. at Salisbury on Sept. 3. Trainer Richard Hannon said, “Happy Romance is in great form. She has run well and improved all year. She has not run a bad race yet and this is the logical next step up. What she has done has not surprised us, because she has always shown us a lot. She did well at Salisbury as she did travel wider, but she picked up well. This is a much harder race than the Rockfel, but you would rather be winning a Cheveley Park. There are only certain opportunities to win a Group 1 and this is one of them, so we have to try to take it.”

Going The Distance

Potential middle-distance stars of 2021 have two major opportunities to shine on Saturday, with Newmarket offering the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. and The Curragh’s card featuring the G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. over a mile. The Royal Lodge has drawn a small field, with China Horse Club International’s Aug. 21 Listed Stonehenge S. winner Cobh (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) taken on by the Teme Valley syndicate’s Aug. 19 G3 Acomb S. scorer Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Ballydoyle’s Aug. 22 G2 Futurity S. third Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Trainer Clive Cox said of Cobh, “He was an impressive winner of the Stonehenge at Salisbury, clearly getting the mile well. He’s a big, scopey individual who has continued to physically develop with his progression on the race track.”

The Beresford may offer more strength in depth than the Royal Lodge, featuring a clash between two ‘TDN Rising Stars’ in High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Wuqood (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former represents Team Ballydoyle successful an astounding 19 times already and is back over the course and distance of his impressive debut success on Aug. 22, while Shadwell’s Wuqood bids to back up the striking impression of his win on his racecourse bow over this trip at Gowran Park on Aug. 12. Jessie Harrington saddles another of Zhang Yuesheng’s talented juveniles in Ace Aussie (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who was off the mark over seven furlongs at Cork on Sept. 9.

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Armstrongs In Line For Profitable Sale

There is a general feeling of relief this year that the yearling sales are taking place at all. While some of the key indices are down on previous years there is comfort to be found in the strong clearance rates experienced at the sales thus far and even more comfort to be taken by some of the results pinhookers have had from their investments of 2019. For siblings Chris and Tara Armstrong this year could be one of the more memorable ones for their young pinhooking operation from Beechvale Stud.

At the upcoming Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale they offer two yearling colts. The first is lot 107, a son of Profitable (Ire) whose first crop has been well received in the ring. The second is lot 222, who has arguably received one of the best pedigree updates since catalogue was printed. He is by Mehmas (Ire), who is currently leading first-season sire, and his half-sister is none other than recent G1 Matron S. winner Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}). This success for Champers Elysees was not the first update she had given her little brother, as prior to her Group 1 success she had also progressed from a listed win to Group 3 glory in the Fairy Bridge S.

Could anyone have foreseen this progression? Well maybe the Armstrongs could. “I remember last year seeing Champers Elysees in the parade ring at Naas before the Birdcatcher Handicap,” Chris recalls. “She was a big, rangy filly, and I thought whatever she does in 2019 would be a bonus, and, thankfully, she’s gone on this year. I was actually at Galway the night she won the listed race. It was nice to see her win it. Then she went up 16 pounds to a mark of 110, which is a fair bit, even though she was impressive, but, thankfully, she was able to justify her mark and she won the Fairy Bridge well.”

Before the Matron, Armstrong says he was just hopeful she would run a credible race–“at least if she was even third or fourth that would be respectable”–but the filly duly came with a late run and provided the Armstrongs with not just a boost for their yearling but also a nice birthday present for Chris.

Cast back to the foal sales of 2019, and Chris recalls what he liked about the colt sibling that cost €19,000. “He caught the eye, he was well done by his breeder, Carl Brown,” Armstrong says. “He walked well and was a nice, big colt. We thought Mehmas had a very good chance of being leading first-season sire this year, too.”

The colt has taken his preparation well for his intended return to the sale ring.

“We’ve been very happy with him. He’s developed a lot,” says Armstrong. “He is correct, walks well, has good muscle and we think he has a nice bit of quality about him; hopefully he’ll shine in the sale over in Newmarket.”

As Armstrong points out, the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale now takes place at Park Paddocks in Newmarket, England, a point Armstrong says he believes may be of further advantage to this particular colt.

“I think it may actually benefit us more,” he says. “Mehmas is on fire. He had the winner in the Weatherbys Racing Bank 2yo Stakes race at Doncaster and if I’m right, I think 95% of his winners this year have been in England. He might be more appealing to the English market. Mehmas has got a lot of winners, he’s got quality winners, and they seem to be adaptable over any ground and over five, six and seven furlongs.”

While it could be easy to get a little star struck by the above colt, the Armstrongs have another offering as part of their Beechvale Stud consignment and although the colt doesn’t boast a Group 1 update he has merits that could also see a good return.

“We literally just saw him before he went into the ring last year and we actually didn’t bid on him in the ring.” Armstrong recalls. “He wasn’t sold so we got him vetted outside the ring afterwards and we bought him. He’s a very well-proportioned colt, he stands well over the ground. He’s done very well throughout the prep and Profitable seems popular at the moment. He’s got a very good temperament too; we walk him around the roads at home on a Sunday for something different and he is absolutely bomb-proof. He eats, sleeps, works and he’s thrived throughout the prep.”

Chris and Tara have only been pinhooking since 2015 and combine the task of raising weanlings to sales-ready yearlings with their full time positions for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien, respectively. When it comes to picking four-legged investments the brother and sister team are very much on the same page. “I suppose when you’re only buying four or five each year, both myself and Tara have to be sure we are happy with what we are buying,” Armstrong says. “You’ve got to be happy with them because you look at them for the rest of the year.

The pair have already enjoyed a sale topper when their Night of Thunder (Ire) filly, bought for €15,000 as foal, led day two of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 3 last year when selling for 75,000gns, and a repeat of that experience may not be that far off.

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Mehmas Colt A Summer Sale Highlight

An unnamed colt from the first crop of Mehmas (Ire) was the leading flat offering from Monday’s Arqana Summer Sale, with lot 13 hammered down to Nicky Bertran de Balanda for €100,000. Mehmas currently leads the European first-season sires table by winners with nine and he registered his first stakes winner on the weekend when Method (Ire) took the Listed Rose Bowl S. This colt’s dam is a half-sister to the dam of GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vale Of York (Ire). De Balanda said, “He’s a lovely colt. His sire was a good juvenile and his offspring seem to be following in his footsteps, with another good winner this weekend. He’ll go into training with Francis-Henri Graffard.”

The Mehmas colt is the first horse consigned by Laura Vanska. A Godolphin Flying Start graduate, Vanska served as an assistant to Nicolas Clement before starting her own breaking and pre-training operation in Chantilly less than two years ago.

“He arrived with us in November and has been working with our other horses,” Vanska said. “He’s a colt that has not stopped improving. We were meant to offer him at the Breeze-Up in May, but for logistical reasons, we waited for this sale. I was confident in his breeze, and thought he wouldn’t disappoint us. I’m really happy for all my team.”

The Summer Sale-typically a two-day affair but this year reduced to one-offered a mix of flat and National Hunt prospects. Leading trade overall was the 3-year-old gelding Prunay (Fr) (Prince Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 142) a wildcard entry who was third in the G3 Prix Aguado on July 4 on his second start over jumps. He was bought by Toby Jones for €240,000 and is bound for Ireland.

“I’ve bought him for one of my long-standing clients,” Jones said. “He’ll go to Ireland. He really stood out–he’s a good-looking individual and is still a maiden that could go over fences. He really ticks all the boxes.”

The Wertheimer et Frere-bred 3-year-old filly Night And Day (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) also looks bound for the jumping sphere, having been bought by Highflyer Bloodstock for €90,000. Lot 212, whose second dam is the excellent producer Magnificient Style-dam of Group 1 winners Nathaniel (Ire), Playful Act (Ire) and Great Heavens (GB)-was beaten a short head when second at Angers on June 5.

Another 3-year-old filly from the Wertheimer draft that proved popular was Humble (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) (lot 74), a once-raced maiden bought by Arthur Hoyeau for €80,000. She is a half-sister to the G3 Prix Vanteaux winner Platane (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and a granddaughter of Gold Round, herself a half-sister to the great Goldikova (Ire).

While 257 horses were catalogued for the Summer Sale just 198 went through the ring. Of those, 152 (76.8%) were sold at an average of €19,030 and a median of €9,000. The aggregate was €2,892,500.

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Half To Golden Horde Starts Out At Haydock

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features a half-brother to one of last week’s Royal Ascot Group 1 winners.

1.15 Haydock, Novice, £6,400, 2yo, 6fT

LINE OF DEPARTURE (IRE) (Mehmas {Ire}) debuts in first-time blinkers in the Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa silks for the Roger Varian stable, having cost £260,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. The February-foaled half-brother to Friday’s G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) encounters Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s similarly-unraced Darvel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a Kevin Ryan-trained son of the G2 Queen Mary S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who cost 380,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale.

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