The victory of Magnanimous in the Listed Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown capped another terrific day for Europe’s leading second-crop sire Mehmas on Thursday.
The 9th first-crop stakes winner for his sire, his win came on the same afternoon that another member of Mehmas’ first crop, Cooperation, broke his maiden at Hamilton Park and another colt sold for £90,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up.
A progressive colt, Magnanimous was winning for the third time for Joseph O’Brien on Thursday. Held up behind the leaders by Shane Crosse, he made smooth headway to take it up a furlong out before quickening clear like a smart horse for a two-length success.
“His run against Poetic Flare here was good, but he was all over the place on the [soft] ground at Naas last time,“ explained assistant trainer Brendan Powell. “He was shouldering a lot of weight in his nurseries last year, he did that really well today and I‘d say that‘s by far his best run.
“He‘s a genuine horse, he loves this [good] ground and, hopefully, he‘ll go on from here. He‘s got the speed for seven, he stays this trip well and will stay a bit further in time. I‘m sure there will be plenty of options for him.“
Bred by Peter Henley and John Connolly, Magnanimous is a half-brother to three winners, including the Group 3-placed Micro Manage, and out of the winning Lilleborne, by Danehill Dancer.
Cooperation, meanwhile, was bred by Pier House Stud out of the Revoque mare Ripalong. This consistent gelding has run in the frame in each of his starts so far this year.
Mehmas was also popular at Tattersalls in Newmarket, where a colt out of Pretty Priceless made £90,000 to Sam Sangster and Blandford Bloodstock. A €22,000 Goffs Sportsmans pinhook, he was sold on Thursday by Eddie Ahern Bloodstock.
