ON what, sadly, proved to be his final start, Minzaal did what he had promised to do since he was a juvenile, and win at the top table.

The son of Mehmas (Acclamation) is from the first crop of his sire, and what an initial crop that was. Supremacy won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, while Going Global was successful in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

Minzaal is the third top-level winner from that crop, while those following on include two more sons of Mehmas embarking on a stud career this season, Persian Force and Caturra.

As a juvenile Minzaal won half of his starts, notably the historic Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, and his placed efforts included running third to Supremacy and Lucky Vega in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes. After his latter effort he was off the track for 371 days, and on his return, over five furlongs – he raced almost exclusively over six – he found one too good for him in a listed race. Two weeks later he chased home Creative Force and Glen Shiel in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Last year, at the age of four, he won a Group 3 at Newbury, was placed a couple of times behind Highfield Princess, on the second occasion getting to within a length of her when runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. He then beat a quality field to land the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in a fast time, putting nearly four lengths between himself and the second-placed Emaraaty.

By sire of sires Acclamation (Royal Applause), Mehmas only raced at two, winning the Group 2 July Stakes and Group 2 Richmond Stakes, and chasing home Churchill in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh. A dozen group winners and a total of 20 stakes winners is the current tally for Mehmas, and this year his fee is a career high €60,000.

Stud duties

What a prospect Minzaal is for stud duties, and what a credit he is to Owen Burrows who fashioned his career with great aplomb.

Minzaal is the best of the winners from the unraced Pardoven (Clodovil). She was bred from the Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Dancing Prize, a non-winner who was placed on three of her four starts for Sir Michael Stoute, racing in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud. On her penultimate start she was beaten less than two lengths into third place in a listed Oaks trial at Lingfield. She has gone on to produce 10 winners, four of them blacktype earners.

Dancing Prize is a half-sister to Polar Bear (Polar Falcon), a listed winner in England and Australia, and runner-up in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes. He was the best of eight winners out of the Group 3 winner Aim For The Top (Irish River), but there is one of that group worth highlighting.

She was Dance To The Top (Sadler’s Wells), a full-sister to Dancing Prize, and she came close to a Group 1 win, finishing behind Fairy Heights in the Fillies’ Mile at Ascot. She bred a pair of group winners.

Race record

MINZAAL (IRE), Bay 2018. Won four races, £473,938, over 6 furlongs, at 2 and 4 years including, Haydock Park Sprint Cup, Haydock Park, Gr.1, Gimcrack Stakes, York, Gr.2, Hackwood Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3, also placed second in Prix Maurice de Gheest, Deauville, Gr.1, Rous Stakes, Ascot, L, and third in British Champions Sprint Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Duke of York Stakes, York, Gr.2.

At stud

Retired to Stud in 2023.

Information

Stands at: Derrinstown Stud, Derrinstown, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, W23 DP93, Ireland

Contact: Stephen Collins, Joe Behan or Kay Skehan

Telephone: +353 1 6286228

Email: nominations@derrinstown.com

Web: www.derrinstown.com

Fee: €15,000