Deserved G1 success for Mehmas’ brilliant daughter Believing

Believing, Mehmas’ brilliant sprinting daughter, captured a much deserved Group 1 victory for George Boughey when the brave winner of the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan.

Successful at Group 2 level among her six previous wins, Believing had come close to Group 1 success on several occasions before, notably when second in last season’s Nunthorpe and Flying Five Stakes.

Making her first start in the Coolmore colours on Saturday following her sale for 3,000,000gns to MV Magnier at Tattersalls, she showed remarkable bravery to answer every call under William Buick and run down Win Carnelian.

“She should have been Ryan’s ride but he got sent to Australia and it was in fact a spare ride,” said William Buick.

“I was really happy with her, she had a faultless prep and George was confident she was a better filly this year.

“I spoke to George at length and he was very sweet on her. It all went how we hoped it would and we wanted it to. It got tough and tight but she really toughed it out.

“Once my filly got organised, the leader was in reach and it was a fight to the line. Coolmore bought the filly last November and it was a lucky pick-up ride.”

Believing was bred by M. Mullen and Cloneymore Farm out of Misfortunate, a daughter of Kodiac. Kodiac is also the damsire of Group 1 winner The Platinum Queen, champion miler Chary, high-class 3yo sprinter West Acre and recent Texas Glitter Stakes winner Incanto - both West Acre and Incanto are also by Mehmas.

Believing was sold through public auction twice - initially for 70,000gns to J C Bloodstock as a yearling and then for 115,000gns to Highclere as a Tattersalls Craven breezer - and as is typical of her sire, was quick to come to hand with a win second time out at Wolverhampton before placings in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes and Group 3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes, in which she was beaten only a neck.

At three, she won the Group 3 Prix Texanita and a Listed race at Pontefract before a brilliant season at four last year, when she filled in the frame in each of her eight domestic starts; her victories included the Listed Achilles and Group 3 Saphire Stakes while she also ran placed in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l’Abbaye.

Saturday’s win brought Believing’s record to seven wins for nearly £1.3 million in earnings.