Mehmas (Ire)

Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud "Priory Belle" 1000 Guineas Trial was one of the most competitive in recent times, with last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) topping the list, and so it was with a deal of surprise that the winner was duly announced as the 80-1 shot Keeper of Time (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) for the John Feane stable. Fifth on her 3-year-old bow in the well-contested Madrid H. over this seven-furlong trip at The Curragh Mar. 21, the bargain €3,000 purchase at the 2019 Goffs...

Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) made an impressive U.S. debut for trainer Phil D'Amato by taking Sunday's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. Formerly trained by Mick Halford in Ireland, the 3-year-old filly was purchased privately this winter in a deal structured by BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe and Niall Dalton. Gary King caught up with Donohoe on Monday morning to chat about the win. GK: What attracted you to Going Global? MD: Her first run at Limerick really caught my eye and Niall's [Dalton]. We liked her action and...

The Phil D'Amato barn continued its hot streak with European imports in turf sprints as Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) uncorked a powerful rally to take Sunday's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. Fourth in her best of three turf tries for Mick Halford in her native country, the bay broke through over seven furlongs of all-weather at Dundalk Nov. 11 before being acquired privately. She was let go at 8-1 in a full and competitive field despite her trainer's excellent numbers with European acquisitions, including four wins from...

Goffs kicks off its 2021 sales season on Tuesday and Wednesday with Part I of its February Sale. Prevailing unprecedented circumstances mean that the mixed sale of yearlings, 2-year-old, fillies and mares and horses in training will take place as a live online auction, with no horses, vendors or purchasers on the grounds at Kildare Paddocks. COVID-19 safety measures late last year meant that Goffs staged its Autumn Horses-In-Training and Yearling sales in the live online format, and the positive results spoke to the resilience of the bloodstock market as...

The setting of new sire records in the modern era tends more than not to be a direct consequence of ever-greater book sizes. But they must still be acknowledged as legitimate breeding benchmarks as they will inevitably feature some outstanding performances. Just look at Mehmas (Ire)'s tally of first-crop 2-year-old winners this term. Currently on 56 winners, he is already 17 clear of Iffraaj's old record and in normal circumstances we might be entitled to expect his record to stand for many years. It may well do, but his strike...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Emma Berry spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Hubert Honoré. EB: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? HH: Sottsass (Fr), at €30,000, is very good value for what he's done; he was a very consistent horse. Also Wooded (Ire) was a good sprinter who was very well trained and he will get a good chance. He's not too dear at €15,000. EB: Best...

During the Nov. 24 sale of breeding rights and stallion shares on Arqana Online, a breeding right in champion first-season sire elect Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) (lot 2) brought €195,000 from Haras du Mont-dit-Mont. Already the sire of 48 winners, 10 black-type performers and four black-type winners led by G1 Middle Park S. hero Supremacy (Ire), the young stallion will command €25,000 at Tally-Ho Stud in 2021. A breeding right to four-time Group 1 winner Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (lot 3), whose oldest foals are three, went for...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Emma Berry spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Gwen Monneraye of La Motteraye Consignment. EB: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? GM: I really like Persian King (Ire). I know that at €30,000 he is not a bargain price, but he's a Classic winner from a good family and [his sire] Kingman (GB) is so hot, so we decided to buy a share...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we have the affable Michael Buckley of Harefield Cottage Stud. GK: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? MB: Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis) and Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy) all seem quite appealing first-season stallion prospects. If I had to choose one, then maybe it would be Sergei Prokofiev at £6,500. A $1.1-million yearling...

Six stallion shares and breeding rights were available during the Arqana Online sale on Wednesday, and the top lot was a 1/50th share of European highweight Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) that went for €310,000. The share, lot 6, was purchased by Elwick Stud and allows two nominations annually. The Haras d'Etreham resident, whose oldest foals are yearlings, sits second by average on the TDN European First-Crop Sires Sales Statistics page, with 14 yearlings sold for an average of $119,463. A breeding right in leading first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation...

Arqana announced six shares and breeding rights to top European stallions will be offered during an online auction at www.arqanaonline. Bidding is scheduled to commence Wednesday, Nov. 4 at noon (12:00p.m.) and conclude at 6:00 p.m. (local time). The lots on offer are: Lot 1: a share (1/50th) in Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) - The share gives right to one nomination every year, plus one extra nomination in 2022 and then every other year. The Aga Khan Studs' sire currently sits in second position on the European stallion rankings by...

The catalogue for the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale is now online. Moved from its normal November slot to Dec. 21 due to the current Level 5 COVID restrictions imposed by the Irish government, the sale has featured in the past the dams of 2020 Group 1 winners Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), and Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). The 2020 edition will see 270 mares and fillies go under the hammer...