Mehmas' brilliant run with his current 2yo crop continued in style on Saturday thanks to a pair of new stakes winners in La Bellota and Make You Smile.
The Tally-Ho bred/breezer La Bellota ran a fine race when second to fellow Ho breezer Powerful Glory in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury last month. In Saturday's Listed Doncaster Stakes at Doncaster, he was bounced out by Oisin Murphy and having poached a fair advantage, always had enough in reserve to repel Diego Ventura - like the winner, a son of Mehmas breezed by Tally-Ho Stud.
The pair were well clear of the third.
La Bellota is trained by John Ryan on behalf of Gerry McGladery, who said: "Oisin gave La Belotta a lovely, confident ride. When the horse took him forward he said he had to let him roll, on that ground you can't check animals. He's been such a game horse. He's still very green. You can see the size of him, he's going to be a better horse next year. For a small yard it's nice to have a good horse to carry you through."
La Bellota is out of the Iffraaj mare Sagittarian Wind and was sold by us to John Ryan at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale.
Over at Newbury, Mehmas was front and centre again, this time thanks to Make You Smile's last gasp win in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. Successful on his debut over course and distance last month, the gelding didn't appear to be enjoying the ground but answered every call of Harry Davies' to get up in the dying strides over Yaroogh.
Trained - like Mehmas' Group 3 winner The Waco Kid - by Hugo Palmer, Make You Smile races for Lit Lung Lee. He was bred by Airlie Stud and Mrs Sonia Rogers out of Lady Of The Lamp, a member of Airlie's good Duntle family of Circus Maximus.
"He's a lovely horse," said Harry Davies. "He's a very laid back type. I think today he's just done enough out of ability. He's got a lot of talent and I'm sure he'll improve again."
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