Improving mare Dujour ran her rivals ragged on her home track at Riccarton to open her winning account with a dominant performance that has earned her a break.

The Almanzor four-year-old was making just her fifth appearance and was coming off a previous third placing before she romped home over 1600 metres.

“I’m very proud of her, I knew she was fit and well and she definitely goes for a break now,” said trainer David Medcalfe, who races the mare with sister Jenny.

Dujour was quickly into her work from barrier rise to make the running under Donovan Cooper and after surging clear at the top of the straight she stayed on too strongly for her rivals.

“What a beautiful way to start Cup Week, she loved it out in front and I let her do it at her own tempo and she found the line really well,” Cooper said.

We bred Dujour who is out of the unraced Irish-bred High Chaparral mare High Vogue, a 110,000gns purchase at a Tattersalls October Sale.

She is a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Luxembourg with top-flight winners Arcangues, Artiste Royale and Aquarelliste also members of this family.

High Vogue is due to foal to Sword Of State after produced acolt to the Group 1 winner last season, while her son of Ocean Park was purchased by John Foote for A$80,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale earlier this year.

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Mehzebeen revelled in an uncharacteristic front-running role at Riccarton where the Almanzor mare dominated the Listed Metropolitan Trophy.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson representative was never headed in the 2600 metre trip under rider Sam Spratt to return a perfect dress rehearsal for next weekend’s G3 New Zealand Cup.

“We didn’t expect to lead, but it was a good positive ride and she was stiff in this race last year so she deserved it,” Bergerson said.

Mehzebeen, who had finished sixth after an interrupted run 12 months ago, had headed south off the back of a close second in the Waverley Cup.

“She’s in fantastic form and her Waverley run showed she was on an upward trajectory,” Bergerson said.

“The step up in trip to 3200 metres will suit her so bring on the Cup.”

Mehzebeen was quickest into stride and Spratt didn’t hesitate to let the five-year-old stride along at the head of affairs.

“We drew one and nothing went so I took the lead and we got pretty easy sectionals,” she said.

“She settled well and cruised along and kicked on thecorner, she was very good.”

Bred by Pencarrow Stud, Mehzebeen has now won on four occasions and finished runner-up in the G1 New Zealand Oaks during her classic season.

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Exciting staying prospect Alma Rise was an impressive winner over 2000 metres on the Oaks Day undercard at Flemington in a case of all’s well that ends well.

The progressive daughter of our resident sire Almanzor was stuck behind a wall of horses at the top of the straight and when a gap finally presented itself, she was through in a flash and forged clear.

The four-year-old is trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman and now has four wins and three runner-up finishes from her seven starts.

“She’s a really classy mare and has been a bit immature both physically and mentally so we’ve taken our time with her,” Coleman said.

“We’ll see how she comes through this one and then take it step by step, but she is a really exciting horse to have in the stable.”

Alma Rise drifted well back on the fence and rider Luke Nolen was stuck in traffic before they were into clear air 250 metres from home and then powered clear to score by two and a-quarter lengths.

“I was just glad they stayed on their feet, it got pretty tight but Luke is very competitive and she’s a very good mare,” Coleman said.

Bred by Ed Calvert and raced with his family, Alma Rise is a daughter of the Bertolini mare Fashion Black, who was successful on six occasions.

Fashion Black is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner and sire Xtravagant whose brother He’s Remarkable was a Group 3 winner and placed at the elite level.

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