Photo: Race Images South
After going into the New Zealand Cup Carnival without any black-type victories to her name, Mehzebeen (Almanzor) leaves Riccarton with two of them including Saturday’s time-honoured Gr.3 Martin Collins 161st New Zealand Cup (3200m).
This has been a career-changing week for Mehzebeen, who showed bright promise with a Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) placing as a three-year-old but has alternated between disappointing and unlucky through the 18 months since.
The first sign that Mehzebeen might be turning a corner came on the first day of the carnival last Saturday, where she scored an all-the-way win in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) and announced herself as a genuine New Zealand Cup contender.
The circumstances were different when the Almanzor mare backed up for the $400,000 feature on Saturday, with a Soft7 track, a different jockey and a change of tactics, but the result was the same as Mehzebeen romped to victory by three lengths.
Mehzebeen was ridden by Craig Grylls, who missed the ride in the Metropolitan last Saturday when he was unable to make the weight and was a late replacement by Sam Spratt.
Grylls played his role to perfection on Saturday, settling in fourth and one off the rail as a very keen Just Charlie set the pace.
Mehzebeen travelled with ease all the way around the expansive Riccarton circuit, and she began to build momentum coming up to the home turn. Grylls asked her to quicken and the five-year-old sailed away, opening up a big margin over placegetters Beavertown Boy and Canheroc.
“That was a big performance,” Grylls said. “The plan was to get a bit of cover, and we managed to do that quite quickly. She just travelled so well throughout. Coming up to the turn, I thought that all she would have to do to get them all off the bridle would be to just quicken up a little bit, and she did that. She won easily in the end.”
Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Mehzebeen has now had 19 starts for five wins, three placings and $474,010 in stakes. That total is a sharp increase on the $186,510 she had to her name coming into the carnival.
“This is a massive thrill,” Bergerson said. “It’s one of the iconic races in New Zealand racing, so it means a lot to have our names on the trophy.
“Thanks to all of our team, both at Matamata and down here. The start of her prep didn’t quite go to plan, but she’s just improved, improved and improved.
“That win last week gave us the confidence to press on into today. She’s absolutely thrived and bounced through the run on the first day, and then she came out and was really strong through the line.
“There are plenty of nice Cup races coming up, both here and in Australia. The further, the better is what we’ve always believed with her. She’s just taken a bit of time and hasn’t always had the rub of the green.”
Mehzebeen was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds and offered in their draft at Karaka 2021, where she was bought for $50,000.
“She was sourced by Danny Rolston, who’s obviously a fantastic judge,” Bergerson said. “He bought her for some keen owners and small-time breeders. They’ll all be over the moon with this result.
“It’s been quite a ride with her, a lot of ups and downs, but days like today make it all worthwhile.”
