Burdened with a penalty for his success in the G2 July S. at Newmarket July 7, Mehmas had drifted to as big as 6-1 in the morning before being sent off the 7-2 outsider of the three main protagonists with little seemingly expected of him up against a pair of colts prepped to improve past him. In the event, there was a sting in the tail from the diminutive bay, who had only been truly outclassed by one horse in his brief career so far and that was Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot June 14. Anchored in third early by Frankie Dettori behind the exuberant TDN Rising Star Blue Point and the July S. runner-up Intelligence Cross, he was sent after the former from the quarter pole where Ballydoyle's representative was beginning to flatten. As Blue Point drifted across to make contact, Mehmas had his blood up and gained the initiative in the last 100 yards before toughing it out in the drive to the line. “He really sticks his head out and although he's not overly-big, he's got a big heart to compensate,” Dettori said. “He took it to the favourite and showed what a tenacious horse he is. He's straightforward and likes a scrap and so I took him into one.” Trainer Richard Hannon is not looking any further than 2016 with the winner, who at present shapes as though he might be the latest in a series of top juveniles retired at the end of their first campaign. “I just love the horse,” he commented. “He's very tough and has done nothing wrong all year. He's going to be utilised this year as a 2-year-old and what we do after this year will be discussed, but we need to win a group 1 with him.”
Charlie Appleby was pleased with how Blue Point acquitted himself on his first proper test and commented, “The winner is a nice horse who has been placed at Royal Ascot and is a July Stakes winner. His experience caught us out and it was the first time that he's really been asked to go about his business. Mehmas has just outbattled us. He will come on for that and he's a talented horse. We knew it was going to be a struggle for pace in the race and we wanted to go out there and keep it simple and get him into a rhythm. We will probably look to the [G1 Prix] Morny [at Deauville Aug. 21] and give the Gimcrack a miss.”
Mehmas has plentiful staying blood in his pedigree, being out of a half-sister to the classsy middle-distance runner Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) who scored three times in pattern company and was also third in the G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Eclipse S. Others in the immediate family are the Australian group-placed Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and the G1 Derby Italiano third Lundy's Lane (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), while the MGSP Puggy (Ire) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}) is the dam of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). The third dam Lucayan Princess produced the dual G1 Coronation Cup hero Warrsan (Ire) (Caerleon) and the triple group 1-winning national hunt sire Luso (GB), as well as fellow sire Needle Gun (Ire) and the G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Cloud Castle (GB) (In the Wings {GB}). The latter has proven herself a top producer, with Queen's Best (GB) (King's Best) proving best after winning the G3 Winter Hill S. and finishing second in the G2 Blandford S. She in turn is the dam of the recent G2 Ribblesdale S. fourth Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who lines up in Saturday's G1 Nassau S. here.
Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR RICHMOND S.-G2, £200,000, GOO, 7-28, 2yo, c/g, 6fT, 1:11.00, g/f.
1–MEHMAS (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Lucina (GB), by Machiavellian
2nd Dam: Lunda (Ire), by Soviet Star
3rd Dam: Lucayan Princess (Ire), by High Line (GB)
(62,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT; 170,000gns 2yo '16 TATBRE). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £113,420. Lifetime Record: 6-4-2-0, $321,976. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Blue Point (Ire), 126, c, 2, Shamardal–Scarlett Rose (GB), by Royal Applause (GB). (110,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; 200,000gns Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £43,000.
3–Intelligence Cross, 126, c, 2, War Front">War Front–Good Vibes, by Unbridled's Song. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Good Vibes Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,520.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]Margins: NK, 3, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.50, 0.80, 2.50.
Also Ran: Waqaas (GB). Scratched: Ardad (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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