Mehmas’ brilliant season continued on Friday when the Tally-Ho-bred Caturra snatched victory in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.
Previous successful in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury, Caturra (pictured below as a yearling) came with a storming run from the back of the field under Adam Kirby to swoop through horses and deny the Richmond Stakes winner Armor in the dying strides.
In the process, the Clive Cox-trained colt became the eighth Group or Graded stakes winner out of just two crops of racing age for Mehmas - and his ninth stakes winner this year after Lusail, another Tally-Ho-bred colt who has won the Group 2 July and Gimcrack Stakes, recent Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global, one of the best 3yo turf fillies currently in training in the US, Italian 2,000 Guineas winner Fayathaan, Group 3 winners Beauty Inspire and Keeper Of Time, and Listed scorers Mehmento, Line Of Depature and Magnanimous.
"I've never had a sprinter with such a sober approach,” Clive Cox told Sky Sports Racing. “He had a lay down at the races when he arrived here today.
“He's got a wonderful mind and lot of speed. We just had to fine-tune how we were riding him as he was using up a little bit too much too early.
"That was fantastic and brilliant Adam (Kirby) got there."
The Lambourn handler raised the possibility of Caturra returning to six furlongs at some stage, adding: "He does get six and ridden this way, he's switching off so well in his races we can think about that as well.
"I don't think there's any doubt he's done it really well today. Also, he's coped with softer ground last time than I thought possible.
"He showed more of a versatile approach than we imagined, so I'm really pleased. His turn of foot was amazing and to do that over five is very special. From a management point of view, his laid-back temperament is a big asset."
Like Lusail, Caturra was bred here at Tally-Ho Stud and sold in our Tattersalls October Book 2 draft - in his case for 110,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock.
Caturra is a half-brother to the Listed-placed Sir Arthur Dayne, by Sir Prancealot, and out of the Listed-placed Shoshoni Wind, a Sleeping Indian relation to Classic Cliche and Lightning Pearl.
In what could be a big few days for Mehmas, Lusail takes his chance in tomorrow’s Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
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