Photo: Ajay Berry, Race Images South
Misfortune has been a recurring theme in Mehzebeen’s (Almanzor) 18-race career, but she made her own luck at Riccarton on Saturday with an emphatic front-running victory in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m).
Runner-up behind Pennyweka in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) as a three-year-old, Mehzebeen went into Saturday’s $100,000 feature with three career victories to her name and unlucky not to have more. She was badly blocked in the straight when sixth in the Metropolitan last year, while she was late getting into clear air when charging home for a last-start second in the Waverley Cup (2200m) on October 20.
In-form jockey Sam Spratt ensured there would be no repeat of that bad luck on Saturday. She pushed Mehzebeen forward from her inside gate and dictated terms from there.
Mehzebeen had an easy and uncontested lead down the back straight, then kicked hard at the top of the straight. The chasers tried hard to reel her back in, led by the strong-finishing Beavertown Boy, but Mehzebeen never came back to them and held them out by half a length.
It was the third consecutive win on the Riccarton card for Spratt, who had previously won the Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) with Illicit Dreams and the NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers’ Series Premier (1400m) with Mazzucato.
“She felt really good today,” Spratt said. “We drew gate one. I was originally planning to sit in the trail, but nothing else went forward, so I thought, ‘Bugger it, we’ll take up the lead ourselves.’ She tootled along and got pretty easy sectionals in front. It was like a track gallop.
“She kicked off the corner nicely. Halfway up the straight, I was waiting for another horse to come up to her and give her something to compete against. It was a very good win.”
Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are now looking forward to next Saturday’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m), for which the TAB rates Mehzebeen a $6 second favourite. Beavertown Boy heads the market at $4.
“Sam Spratt will win on anything at the moment, she’s in such good form,” Bergerson said. “It was a good, positive ride there. We probably didn’t expect her to lead, but she was very game and found a good kick at the top of the straight. It was a really good Cup trial.
“She’s a good mare and is in fantastic form. She was really stiff in this race last year, so she probably deserved that. Her Waverley Cup run last start showed that she was on the right trajectory, and the step up in trip certainly suits. Bring on the 3200m next week.”
Mehzebeen was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds and was a $50,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. She has now had 18 starts for four wins, three placings and $186,510 in stakes.
“This mare was bought at Karaka by Danny Rolston, who now works in Hong Kong and is one of the best judges around,” Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis said. “He shares ownership of this horse and very kindly gave her to Te Akau to train. She’s done a very good job so far and appears to have a bit more in front of her.”
