Almanzor Mare Benefits from Maturity

Media Release - Tuesday April 15

Time was always going to benefit Mehzebeen 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).

Mehzebeen winning the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m).  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

“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.

Advertisement

“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. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
El Vencedor Overcomes Injury Scare
After overcoming an injury scare earlier in the week, fortune has turned in favour of Kiwi flyer El Vencedor, drawing barrier one for Sunday’s HK$28 million Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
I Am Invincible 3YO Wins $100,000 Super Maiden
ANZAC Day races at Randwick produced a nice winner for Go Bloodstock with their homebred I Am Invincible gelding Maori Chief breaking through for a well deserved win in a lucrative $100,000 Super Maiden over 1250m.
Farnan Fans Getting Excited
Golden Slipper winning sire Farnan has made a swift start to his stud career and with seven unraced trial winners in the month of April his tally of eight first crop winners to date looks like it will be headed skywards and one breeder not surprised is Mike O’Donnell of Fairhill Farm.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
There were seven heats for juveniles at Randwick on Thursday morning and some very interesting unraced winners, but none more so than the half-sister by Wootton Bassett (GB) to last weekend’s Group III winner Lilac.
New SW for Almanzor - Mehzebeen Wins Listed Metropolitan Trophy
Misfortune has been a recurring theme in Mehzebeen’s 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).
Promising Thursday Winners Bring Inglis HTBA Updates
A couple of promising winners on Thursday brought timely pedigree updates for their siblings to be offered at the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Thursday April 24
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Twin Hills Stud Announce 2025 Fees
Denman may have been retired to green pastures in the Hunter Valley, but Twin Hills Stud will still offer a roster of four stallions to breeders headed by young Group I MRC Blue Diamond winner Daumier and the evergreen Smart Missile.
Back to Back Stakes Wins for Almanzor Stayer
After going into the New Zealand Cup Carnival without any black-type victories to her name, Mehzebeen leaves Riccarton with two of them including Saturday’s time-honoured Gr.3 Martin Collins 161st New Zealand Cup (3200m).
First Winner for Peltzer
A fast Group II winning son of So You Think, Peltzer retired to Twin Hills Stud in 2021 and with his oldest progeny just two year-olds he posted his first ever winner on ANZAC Day with a debut victory for Tom Vegas.