Mehmas out to cap breakthrough campaign with three-pronged Middle Park assault

A fantastic campaign for leading first-season sire Mehmas could be set to reach new heights at Newmarket on Saturday as the Tally-Ho Stud stallion is represented by three runners in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes as he bids for a first Group 1 victory.

Not only are three of the eight-strong field by Mehmas, but on Friday afternoon they were the three shortest-priced runners in the field too. Method, who was signed for as a yearling by Dermot Farrington at £20,000, and Shadwell's Minzaal, a 140,000gns buy, shared favouritism at around 11-4.

Method, who was bred by Michael Phelan, gave his sire a first black-type winner when landing the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes on his latest outing in July, while the Ringfort Stud-bred Minzaal was last seen winning the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes in authoritative fashion.

View full Group 1 Middle Park Stakes racecard

The Mehmas contingent is completed by Group 2 Richmond Stakes scorer Supremacy, who was bred by Kangyu International Racing and bought by trainer Clive Cox for £65,000.

Both Minzaal and Supremacy have recorded Racing Post Ratings of 114, putting them just 3lb behind the season's highest-rated juvenile Thunder Moon. The son of Zoffany was allotted an RPR of 117 for his impressive Group 1 National Stakes triumph.

Method, Minzaal and Supremacy are among 33 winners to emerge from Mehmas's debut crop, which was bred when the son of Acclamation stood for a fee of €12,500. He has also sired the Listed Roses Stakes scorer Acklam Express, Gimcrack Stakes third Mystery Smiles and the Listed-placed Muker.

Minzaal wins the Gimcrack StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mehmas has sired his 33 successful sons and daughters at a winners-to-runners strike-rate of 38 per cent, with that total more than double that of his nearest pursuer among the first-season sires, with Adaay on 16 winners. He is second only to two-year-old sire extraordinaire Kodiac, another Tally-Ho resident, on this year's leading sire of European juveniles list.

Although Roger O'Callaghan would rather let the Middle Park Stakes runners do the talking for Mehmas, the Tally-Ho Stud man said of the sire's bright start: "Mehmas has had a phenomenal year and it's what every stallion man aspires to.

"His progeny are like him, they want to win and all seem to have the right attitudes. He looks very promising."

View Racing Post Bloodstock's European stallion statistics

Tally-Ho's fingerprints can also be found on the field for the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes that precedes the Middle Park.

Cinderella story Miss Amulet, who has her first run for Michael Tabor since she was purchased privately from Colm Griffin, is from the last Irish-bred crop of Sir Prancealot, who switched from Tally-Ho to Rancho San Miguel in California.

The stud's kingpin Kodiac is also doubly represented with Group 3 Firth of Clyde heroine Umm Kulthum, who was also bred by Tally-Ho, and Listed scorer Zoetic set to take their chances.

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