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...
Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale-Topper Salutes
Bought by Yulong for $700,000 to top the Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale last year, three year-old Justify (USA) colt Officiate opened his account with a determined win in testing conditions at Canterbury on Wednesday.
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).
Debut Farnan Winner for Pencarrow Stud
Three-year-old filly Passiflora showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Are You Sending a Mare to Cogburn?
Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded on Tuesday with the rise of exciting young sire Not This Time as a big player on the world stage well and truly illustrated with 22 of his yearlings selling at an average $805,682.
Karaka Graduates Honoured at New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards
The champions of New Zealand’s 2024-25 season were crowned during the Horse of the Year Awards in Hamilton on Sunday night, where four Karaka graduates were named the standouts of their respective categories.
Oaks dream alive for Almanzor Filly
Waikato Hospital radiologist Xavier Kos is dreaming of an Oaks victory with his filly Mehzebeen after she broke through for her maiden win at Awapuni on Wednesday.
Another Impressive New Winner St Mark’s Basilica
A colt that holds entries for several upcoming Group races, Piazza San Marco became the 12th winner for Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (FR) when bolting in at Galway overnight.
Trainers Rewarded with Continued NZB Ready to Run Series
With the continued long-term support of Majestic Horse Transport and Dunstan Horsefeeds, NZB is pleased to announce that the Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series will return for its sixth edition this season, kicking off on Saturday at two venues. ? 
Almanzor Stayer wins Listed Hawkes Bay Cup
A brilliant rails hugging ride by apprentice Lily Sutherland combined with the never-say-die attitude of progressive stayer Mehzebeen proved the key to the finish of a thrilling running of the Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham.
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).