Find out the plans for Anapurna and company as Meon Valley Stud reveals 2024 matings for star mares

A visit to Darley's champion sire Dubawi is on the cards for Meon Valley Stud's Oaks heroine Anapurna, a dual top-level winner in the storied black and white spotted silks during her successful racing career. 

Having given birth to a filly by Palace Pier – her fourth filly in a row after the Lope De Vega three-year-old Monterosa, a two-year-old by Dubawi and yearling by Kingman – Anapurna is heading back to familiar territory for 2024. 

Mark Weinfeld, Meon Valley Stud's managing partner, says: "It's a cross that's worked well. Monterosa has been a bit unlucky once or twice but we think she's quite good. Anapurna's Dubawi two-year-old hasn't been named yet but she'll go to the Gosdens. We wouldn't be very popular if we sent her anywhere else!

"I like to have a spread of stallions and I normally try with the matings to produce something that will be a racehorse, rather than a sales horse. I do think we've got some exciting matings, although the unfortunate thing is we didn't manage to work Frankel in anywhere."

Anapurna: winner of the Oaks at EpsomCredit: Getty Images/Andrew Redington

Among the new stallions being used this year are Shadwell's Juddmonte International and Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Mostahdaf, who will receive the winning Invincible Spirit mare Perfectly Spirited, and Darley pair Native Trail and Modern Games. 

Native Trail, an unbeaten champion juvenile and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, will cover Free Lovin', a Roaring Lion half-sister to stakes winner Twist 'N' Shake.

Dual Breeders' Cup winner and French 2,000 Guineas hero Modern Games gets Return Ace and Jazzi Top. The latter is a Group 2-winning Danehill Dancer daughter of Prix de l'Opera winner Zee Zee Top and from the classic Meon Valley family of Opera House and Kayf Tara. 

Another mare who has the services of a Darley stallion for 2024, namely Night Of Thunder, is Jazzi Top's half-sister Izzi Top. 

The dual top level-winning daughter of Pivotal has produced three black-type performers, headed by Meydan Group 3 winner Prince Eiji and Listed Bahrain winner Zagato. 

Her daughter, the Muhaarar-sired Bizzi Lizzi, won two of her three races for John Gosden and goes to Harry Angel after foaling to Nathaniel,

Weinfeld said of Izzi Top: "She's worked with both Frankel and Dubawi, so with the Night Of Thunder mating you've got both Dubawi and Galileo genes in the mix. She was covered by him on February 22."

Night Of Thunder is one of the Darley stallions receiving Meon Valley supportCredit: Patrick McCann

While the Classic-placed Shirocco Star is due to be rested after foaling to Baaeed, her promising four-year-old Frankel filly Mistral Star remains in training with Hughie Morrison. 

The half-sister to Dante Stakes winner Telecaster and fellow Group 2 scorer Al Suhail was Listed-placed last term and connections are hoping for some bold black type this year. 

Another fabulous producer for the Hampshire stud is Dash To The Front, a stakes-winning half-sister to Dash To The Top who retires after foaling to Frankel. 

Aside from her pending arrival, a close relation to Anapurna, she is the dam of dual Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding, black-type winner Value Proposition and Miss Dashwood, dam of Queen's Vase winner Dashing Willoughby.

Despite an emphasis on breeding Classic-type horses, the Meon Valley team will be sending mares to two top-class sprinters and speed stallions in Blue Point and Havana Grey. 

Blue Point will cover It's Marvellous, a winning daughter of Intello out of a sister to Juddmonte International winner One So Wonderful, while Havana Grey's dance card will include Pushy, an unraced daughter of Dubawi and Dash To The Front. 

Weinfeld said of It's Marvellous' covering: "Blue Point is a great sire and we've had some success with that sireline with the One In A Million family. Shamardal gave us Speedy Boarding, while Lope De Vega was the sire of Group 3 winner Four White Socks. 

Havana Grey: Whitsbury Manor sensation will cover Pushy

"Charlie Hills also has a Blue Point colt from the same family called Zabriskie Point, who won a couple of times last year and looks a decent horse for this coming season.

"We're also delighted to get into Havana Grey, I think the covering will suit the mare very well."

Meon Valley has a breeding right in Darley's champion miler and exciting first-crop yearling sire Palace Pier. They will, accordingly, be sending him two mares in Celestial Girl and Ronni Scott, and Weinfeld pointed out: "We've got a yearling by him which we really like."  

Celestial Girl was a four-time winner for Morrison and is the dam of two winners. She is out of an Unfuwain half-sister to Oaks winner Lady Carla. 

Ronni Scott raced only once but boasts an equally fine pedigree as a daughter of Frankel and Jazzi Top. 

Other notable individuals include Listed winner Twist 'N' Shake, a daughter of Kingman who heads to Pinatubo after foaling to Harry Angel. The eight-year-old's first foal, Frightening, by Night Of Thunder, ran with promise last year for Ralph Beckett. 

Twist 'N' Shake (right): heading for PinatuboCredit: Edward Whitaker

Another bound for Dalham Hall is the Group 3-placed Farhh mare Farzeen, who gave birth to a colt by Space Blues this year and now heads to Too Darn Hot. 

Sensationally, the dam of Derby runner-up and Group winner Hoo Ya Mal, is off to Ireland for a mating with Lope De Vega, as is Cosmic Princess, a Listed-placed daughter of Kingman. 

Twist 'N' Shake's dam Hippy Hippy Shake is another bound for Ireland, where she will be covered by Australia.

'I was so impressed when I saw him'

One young sire who has turned Weinfeld's head is superstar stayer and National Stud resident Stradivarius. 

It is an exciting time for all those connected to the popular son of Sea The Stars with his first foals on the ground, and he will receive a Meon Valley mare in Monzza, an unraced daughter of Montjeu and Zee Zee Top. 

The 14-year-old is the dam of a winner and hails from that top-notch family of Izzi Top, Jazzi Top, Colorspin, Kayf Tara and Opera House. 

Weinfeld was taken with Stradivarius' physical qualities and believes the covering will suit. 

"I'm really curious about Stradivarius," he says. "I was so impressed when I saw him, so we're sending Monzza. 

"She's quite a big mare, while he's a tidy horse and he's got this wonderful walk. He really catches the eye and doesn't so much walk as prowl. 

"It's an exciting wildcard but you never know. We thought if it doesn't sell, we might win a decent race with the offspring!"

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