Pedigree Pointers: Cassie Tully previews the Middle Park Stakes which features plenty of Mehmas' progeny

Johannesburg, Oasis Dream, Dutch Art and Dark Angel are just a four of the real heavyweights to have won the Middle Park Stakes in recent times.

But it is actually a horse who finished third in the race four years ago that is casting the greatest influence upon this Saturday’s renewal.

In 2016 this particular horse, who is by Acclamation, had won both the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket and the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. And trained by Richard Hannon, he went on to finish second to Churchill in the Group One National Stakes and then third to The Last Lion and Blue Point in the Middle Park.

That horse is of course Mehmas.

Four years on, after being part-purchased by Tally-Ho Stud and retiring to that establishment at a fee of €12,500, Mehmas’ progeny have created quite the storm on their debut this year and he resides at the top of the First-Season-Sire tables in just about every single category.

This Saturday, Mehmas is represented by three colts with leading claims in the Group One Middle Park Stakes, all looking to better their father’s third place finish in 2016 and supply him with a Group One winner in his first crop.

An interesting point to note alongside this, is that the three colts are the first Stakes performers out of each of their dams (all had two or more foals previously).

So, beginning with the Mehmas trio, here are the 2020 challengers.

SUPREMACY

Winner of two of his three starts including the Group Two Richmond Stakes (same as his father) by four lengths.

Female family - Of the three sons of Mehmas, Supremacy by far has the most notable relatives. He is the third foal out of the Arcano mare Triggers Broom and it is worth noting that from just 27 runners, Arcano already has two Group Two winners as a broodmare sire.

Triggers Broom is a half-sister to dual Group One winner in Hong Kong, Xtension, who also won the Vintage Stakes at two; as well as a half-sister to the dam of brilliant sprinter Harry Angel and his Group Two winning younger brother, Pierre Lapin. All stemming from a strong American family of many Group winners.

MINZAAL

Winner of two of his three starts which includes the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York by two lengths.

Female family – Minzaal is the fourth foal and first Stakes performer out of the unraced Clodovil mare, Pardoven. Four of Pardoven’s half-siblings are Stakes placed, in four different countries. Firebet and Seeking The Prize are both Group Three placed in Goodwood and the UAE respectively, while Special War and Dilshaan’s Prize are Listed placed in Italy and France.

Minzaal is therefore the first Stakes winner in the first two generations of his family and would also be the first Group One winner within four. The international performances continue into the third dam who won her Group Three in Milan, while her son Polar Bear won Stakes races in the UK and placed at the highest level in Australia, and her grandson Bankable won a Group Two in Meydan, a Listed race in the UK and placed in a Group One in Singapore.

METHOD

Method is unbeaten in his two starts which include the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Female Family – He is out of the Iffraaj mare named Darsan who ran 22 times, winning once by eight lengths, in a handicap over twelve furlongs.

She is a half-sister to two-year-old Listed winners Bella Tusa and La Vita E Bella, the latter whom is the grandam of four-time Group winner (including the Group Two Lennox Stakes and Group Three Acomb Stakes at two), Dutch Connection.

And bar two Brazilian performers, these are the only Stakes winners within five generations of female family. The sixth dam did win a Listed race herself and also has a granddaughter who did the same.

It is more common in sprinters that top performers can emerge from the ashes, but this may also allude to the prospect that Mehmas is upgrading his mares.

Onto the competition which is far from short in supply...

LUCKY VEGA

A Group One winner already over this distance in the Phoenix Stakes, and he encountered some trouble in the National Stakes over the longer seven furlongs last time. The last horse to complete the Phoenix/Middle Park double was Johannesburg in 2001.

Sire – Lope De Vega. Lucky Vega is Lope De Vega’s fourth Group One winning juvenile so far and his sire Shamardal produced last year’s victor in this race, Earthlight.

Female Family - He is the sixth foal out of his unraced Cape Cross mare Queen of Carthage. Lucky Vega is the first black-type horse amongst his siblings and the third Group One winning juvenile for Cape Cross as a broodmare sire. Lucky Vega’s grandam Satwa Queen ran only once at two but won the Group One Prix de l’Opera at five. This is also the distant family of top-level winners Desert Blanc and Mille Et Mille.

TACTICAL

Group Two July Stakes and Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner as well as placing fifth in the Group One Prix Morny one month ago (Nando Parrado second).

Sire – Tactical is by Toronado who was an unbeaten Group Two winning juvenile himself before top level wins over a mile at both three and four years. He is a son of High Chaparral who of course won the Racing Post Trophy at two. But Toronado has been a touch disappointing so far. He is now into his third crop of juveniles, had 310 runners, and Tactical is his only Group winner to date along with just five other Stakes winners.

Female Family – Tactical is the first foal out of the Stakes-placed juvenile, Make Fast. She is by Makfi who from only 41 runners, has three Group winners as a broodmare sire. Make Fast in turn is out of the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes winning juvenile Raymi Coya who is the grandam of last month’s Round Tower Stakes-placed two-year-old, Teresa Mendoza. All stemming from American Grade One winner, Try Something New.

THE LIR JET

Royal Ascot Norfolk Stakes winner who was second on both of his outings since - a short head to Ventura Tormenta in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin and three-and-a-half lengths behind Lucky Vega in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

Sire – Prince Of Lir. A son of Kodiac who only raced at two, winning his maiden and the Norfolk Stakes but failed to place in his three starts thereafter. He is another first-season-sire and from 31 starters has nine winners to date including two other Stakes-placed fillies in Italy.

Not winning a Group One himself hasn’t stopped Kodiac from producing those who do, so there is every possibility that Prince Of Lir can from just a €5,000 fee too.

Female Family – The Lir Jet is the fourth foal out of Singspiel mare Pickwick Papers. He would also be the first Group One winner within five generations of his female family, which does include the Italian Group Two winner and Yorkshire Oaks placed Papering as his third dam. Deep within the sixth dam however, is Arc winner Dylan Thomas and his Cheveley Park Stakes winning sister, Queen’s Logic.

LIPIZZANER

Maiden winner on his fourth start who also placed fourth in the Norfolk Stakes behind The Lir Jet. He is the only contender this year for the leading trainer of this race who also won two of the past three runnings.

Sire – Lipizzaner is by Uncle Mo, a Coolmore America sire who was an unbeaten dual Grade One winning juvenile himself and is the sire of four other Grade One winning two-year-olds to date.

Female Family – An international pedigree all round, Lipizzaner is out of Australian Group One winner Irish Lights (Danehill). She has already produced Australian Group Two winner, Omei Sword from her first named foal. And this is the extended family of Belmont Grade One winner Fall Aspen who is the dam of Newmarket July Cup winner Hamas, USA Champion two-year-old Timber Country, Grand Prix De Paris winner Fort Wood, as well as the grandam of Irish Classic winner Mehtaaf and great-grandam of Ribchester.

CHARTERHOUSE

Maiden winner who also placed fourth in Group Three Tyro Stakes and sixth behind Thunder Moon two weeks ago in the National Stakes. All of his runs have been over seven furlongs to date and this is his first time dropping back to six.

Sire – Charming Thought is the third first-season-sire represented here. He is by Oasis Dream and both he and his sire won this race in 2014 and 2002 respectively. Charming Thought so far has 16 starters and five winners, Charterhouse would be his first stakes performer.

Female family – Charterhouse is out of the winning Royal Applause mare Crocus Rose who is a half-sister to Group Three winning and Group One placed Ela Athena, the dam of Doncaster Cup winner Pallasator. All stemming from a strong Italian branch of a family which also extends into Footstepsinthesand and Group One winning juveniles Power and Rivet.