Mehmas Gets His First Black-Type Winner As Method Excites

Manton Park Racing's Method (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) was one of the hot topics among the current crop of juveniles after his striking debut at Doncaster June 26, having beaten the subsequent G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. runner-up Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) there by 4 1/4 lengths. Entering Saturday's six-furlong Listed bet365 Rose Bowl S. at Newbury as the deserved 5-6 favourite, the bay read the script perfectly to exit with reputation enhanced. Anchored behind the pace by Oisin Murphy early, he was delivered to cut down Mighty Gurkha (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) approaching the furlong marker en route to a commanding 2 1/4-length success, with Imperial Yellow (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) 3 1/4 lengths away in third. In doing so, Method was providing his first-season sire (by Acclamation {GB}) with his first black-type winner. The G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S.-winning Tally-Ho Stud resident has the largest representation of any of his fellow freshmen this year and the earliest from his 146 2-year-olds include the Listed Windsor Castle S. third Muker (Ire) and smart recent winner Supremacy (Ire).

“He's a gorgeous physical specimen and has done well with his racing,” Murphy commented. “At Doncaster I rode him and liked him and the team at home have done a good job at managing him. He's a sprinter. He travelled with a lot of zest today and there are some quick horses in that field and I think he can go to a higher level. Martyn [Meade] has had a lot of good ones in recent years in the likes of Advertise and Acclaim and it would be lovely if they've found another one.”

Meade added, “I think he is very good on that showing–it was a hand-and-heels ride, the horses finished in the right order and he lived up to every expectation. I think a mile will be no problem and I expect him to progress to that. He has a few options, with the obvious one being the [G2] Richmond [at Goodwood], but that's a touch early and he could go to France for the [G1 Prix] Morny. We have to take it one race at a time and we'll see how he is after today.”

Method's dam Darsan, who was a stayer albeit in modest company, is kin to the Listed Montrose Fillies' S. winner and G3 Prix Saint-Roman runner-up La Vita E Bella (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}). Her descendants include the G2 Lennox S.-winning seven-furlong specialist Dutch Connection (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who was also runner-up in the G1 Prix Jean Prat, and the listed scorer and G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte-placed Bella Tusa (Ire) (Sri Pekan). The dam also has a yearling colt by Belardo (Ire).

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
BET365 ROSE BOWL S.-Listed, £17,500, Newbury, 7-18, 2yo, 6fT, 1:11.36, gd.
1–METHOD (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Darsan (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB)
2nd Dam: Coolrain Lady (Ire), by Common Grounds (GB)
3rd Dam: Moneycashen, by Hook Money
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€16,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV; £20,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Manton Park Racing; B-M Phelan (IRE); T-Martyn Meade; J-Oisin Murphy. £9,924. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $16,809.
2–Mighty Gurkha (Ire), 126, c, 2, Sepoy (Aus)–Royal Debt (GB), by Royal Applause (GB). (14,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Mohammed Rashid; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Archie Watson. £3,763.
3–Imperial Yellow (Ire), 126, c, 2, New Bay (GB)–Soteria (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€60,000 Wlg '18 TATFBR; £40,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Varian Racing III; B-China Horse Club International Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £1,883.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.83, 6.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Fountain Cross (GB), Mere Green (Ire), Kraken Power (Ire), Tanfantic (GB), Bowman (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result.