Keeper Of Time provided owner John Nolan with a day to remember on Sunday when the brave winner of the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown.
The Johnny Feane-trained filly was sent off the 80/1 outsider in the quality field but showing the tenacity - and talent - that is so typical of Mehmas’ stock, answered every call of Ronan Whelan to stick her head down and win by a head from Mehnah with the likes of Shale, My Generation and Empress Josephine in behind.
”It’s fantastic,” Johnny Feane told Racing TV. “John owns her and he led her up. I was talking to Seamie Heffernan just there and he said the look on John’s face was a sight to behold. It’s fantastic for him.
“John wasn’t afraid to come here, 7f round a bend. And Ronan gave her a beautiful ride down the inside - the gaps came and she was brave and good enough to run through them and to the line.”
Also successful in a Naas maiden last year, two-time winner Keeper Of Time was purchased by John Nolan for €3,000 at the 2019 Goffs February Sale. She was bred by the Phelan family at Tullogher House Stud out of the Listed-placed Motheeba, a Mustanfar granddaughter of Princess Margaret Stakes heroine Kayrawan.
She becomes the seventh stakes winner for Mehmas, last year’s champion first-crop sire. The Group 1 Middle Park Stakes hero Supremacy heads the septet alongside Gimcrack Stakes scorer Minzaal.
Mehmas stands for €25,000.
