'She's a lovely mare' - Meon Valley Stud reveal matings for top-class broodmares

Meon Valley Stud's classically-bred broodmare band is set for another round of high-class matings, with 2019 Oaks heroine Anapurna and proven producers Izzi Top and Shirocco Star due to visit Britain's finest stallions.

The Hampshire-based stud continues to compete with the world's leading operations on a regular basis, and plans are under way for their broodmare band to be given accordingly appropriate coverings over the coming months.

Anapurna was the most recent homebred to propel the famous black and white silks into the limelight when denying Pink Dogwood in a thrilling finish to the Oaks.

The daughter of Frankel is currently carrying to Lope De Vega and her maiden covering is expected to bear fruit in the coming days before a visit to Dubawi.

Stud manager Mark Weinfeld, who reported the dual Group 1 winner to have thrived in her second career, said: "She's just started waxing up so we're quite hopeful we'll have a foal by the end of January. She's turned into a lovely looking broodmare."

On the decision to send Anapurna to Darley's supersire Dubawi, he added: "She's out of a Montjeu mare and you've got Galileo through Frankel as well as Danehill in the mix, so she really needed an outcross.

Mark Weinfeld: 'Too Darn Hot has the breeding to be a superb stallion'Credit: Laura Green

"She went to Lope De Vega last time and as she's such a good mare and Dubawi's a top sire, it looks good on paper. I suppose you could say breed the best to the best and hope for the best!"

A full-sibling to Anapurna is expected this season with the 19-year-old Dash To The Top currently carrying to Juddmonte's dual world champion and top sire Frankel.

The daughter of Montjeu, a Listed winner and second in the Yorkshire Oaks for Luca Cumani in her first career, has produced three stakes horses to date, although plans for a covering this term have yet to be finalised.

Weinfeld said: "We'll see how we get through this year. She was barren for several years on the trot, we have had quite a bit of trouble getting her in foal. We were delighted to have got Anapurna.

"To have got her in foal to Frankel again is a real achievement, we'll see how the foaling goes and then take it from there."

Izzi Top taking high rank

Weinfeld revealed that Izzi Top, the dam of millionaire sale star Prince Eiji, plus the promising three-year-old colt Zagato, would be returning to Frankel alongside Speedy Boarding, the dual Group 1-winning daughter of Shamardal and Dash To The Front.

Weinfeld explained: "Izzi Top's going to Frankel, it's a mating that suits her – there is a nice colt with John Gosden called Zagato, who was just beaten last time out in a three-way finish. He looks quite good, but we are hoping for a filly this time around."

Meon Valley is also set to support Frankel's fellow Banstead Manor Stud resident Kingman, with Shirocco Star – the dam of Dante Stakes scorer and Haras du Mesnil resident Telecaster, plus the stakes-winning Dubawi colt Al Suhail – and Dash To The Front on the sire's dance card.

Weinfeld continued: "Shirocco Star goes to Kingman. The Green Desert line has worked well several times with the Reprocolor family in the past."

Twist 'N' Shake, a Listed-winning and Group 3-placed daughter of Kingman, was covered by leading young sire Night Of Thunder last year and will head to Too Darn Hot this time.

Twist 'N' Shake (right): booked in for a date with Too Darn HotCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Too Darn Hot has the breeding to be a superb stallion and the match looks good on paper," reasoned Weinfeld. "It's a similar cross to that which has produced the likes of Nezwah and Kite Surf. The sons of Dubawi are proving themselves at stud."

Hippy Hippy Shake, the dam of Twist 'N' Shake, will be covered by Nathaniel, while Miss Dashwood, another high-class producer having been responsible for Queen's Vase hero Dashing Willoughby, has been booked in for Blue Point.

Weinfeld said: "It's a similar mating to the one that produced Speedy Boarding. It seems to be a nick that works because it's the same sort of cross that produced Group 3 winner Four White Socks."

The Meon Valley Stud boss, who added that the stakes-placed Kingman filly Cosmic Princess will remain in training with Hughie Morrison this year, will send Galaxy Highflyer - the dam of Cosmic Princess and Beresford Stakes second Oklahoma City - to Showcasing, while Wilbury Twist has a date with Mohaather in the offing.

"Galaxy Highflyer is going to Showcasing. This cross has worked before with other Green Desert line stallions," he said. "The mare produced Oklahoma City by Oasis Dream, and Cosmic Princess from her Kingman mating."

Maiden mares

Meon Valley also welcomes a number of recently retired fillies to the paddocks, in the form of multiple stakes-placed Farzeen, a daughter of Farhh and Zee Zee Gee, plus Bizzi Lizzi, a winning daughter of Muhaarar and out of Izzi Top, and Elmetto, a Helmet filly who won and was placed second twice in her three starts.

Farzeen, whose dam is an unraced half-sister to Izzi Top, was due to visit the late Zoffany. Plans sadly had to be altered, and a date with champion sprinter Ten Sovereigns now awaits.

Weinfield added: "She was going to go to Zoffany so we had to make a last-minute change.

"We've gone for Ten Sovereigns as he's a good-looking horse and exciting prospect – the mare was quite fast herself and he's a fast sireline. We felt that combination could work well, and there is little inbreeding."

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