Mehzebeen delivers quality staying effort

Almanzor’s daughter Mehzebeen confirmed her readiness for sterner challenges when she produced a strong staying performance to score at Ashburton.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained representative continued her southern campaign with victory over 2200 metres after she had finished sixth at Riccarton where she was second-up over a middle distance.“She hasn’t had all that much luck and her first run over ground was on a heavy track and it took its toll late in the piece,” Bergerson said.“We had to rush her a little bit to get her up in trip and now she’d had that one over 2000 metres this looked a really nice race for her.”The four-year-old settled four back on the rail under Warren Kennedy before picking up ground 500 metres from home and she wound up strongly one off the fence to account for her Rating 65 rivals.Second in last season’s G1 New Zealand Oaks, Mehzebeen is now likely to target next month’s Listed Metropolitan Trophy over 2600 metres at Riccarton.She was secured out of breeder Pencarrow Stud’s draft at Karaka by Sarai Stud for $50,000 and is out of the Zabeel mare Salkantay, who is a half-sister to the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes winner Te Akau Coup.