Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Time was always going to benefit Mehzebeen (Almanzor) and the Almanzor mare continues to emphasise that in her five-year-old season.
She was bred and sold by Pencarrow Stud and at Trentham furthered her black-type record with victory in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.
Mehzebeen had also completed the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) double in the spring to realise the earlier staying potential she showed when runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
“She has matured into a really nice mare and while it didn’t quite work out in Australia, she’s certainly in good form now,” Pencarrow Manager Leon Casey said.
He was referring to the Te Akau-prepared mare’s two unplaced performances in Melbourne earlier this year.
Mehzebeen is out of the since sold Zabeel mare Salkantay, dam of three winners including another stakes performer in Smiling Touch, and was secured by Sarai Stud for $50,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
“She was a lovely type of filly and was just a little bit immature and hadn’t really furnished up as much as the others,” Casey said.
“There was obviously interest in her, but she was always going to take some time.
“She came off our Bellwood farm where we do some of our yearling fillies, it’s a hill property and she went over just after weaning and did her full preparation there.
“We prepare and sell from that farm, we’ve only been doing it for a few years. It’s a very small number and she’s our fifth individual stakes winner going through that system.”
Mehzebeen continued Pencarrow’s good roll following the recent debut victory over 1400m at Waverley of debutante Powersofpersuasion in Sir Peter Vela’s colours while homebred and raced Tomodachi was a late finishing third in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham.
Powersofpersuasion is a three-year-old daughter of Ten Sovereigns and the Darci Brahma mare Persuasive, a winner on five occasions up to 1400m.
“That was Stephen and Julia’s 10th winner for the season from a small team and she won nicely,” Casey said.
“We sell five or six fillies a year and keep the others to race and all three grew up on the hill farm.”
Pencarrow has a half-brother to Powersofpersuasion by Nicconi who will be offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale and a colt by Eminent while the dam is in foal to Reliable Man.
Lightly raced Tarzino mare Tomodachi has won five of her eight starts for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and is out of the High Chaparral’s daughter Quintessentially, a granddaughter of champion mare Ethereal.
Quintessentially’s colt by Hello Youmzain sold for $80,000 at Karaka earlier this year and she is in foal to Pride Of Dubai.
