Mehzebeen on Adelaide Cup path

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand Cup winner Mehzebeen is set to make her Australian debut in a Benchmark race at Caulfield on Saturday on a path towards a staying feature in South Australia next month.

Trained by Mark Walker, Mehzebeen is scheduled to take her place in Saturday’s Benchmark 100 race over 2000m, which will be her first start since winning the Group 3 New Zealand Cup over 3200m at Riccarton in mid-November.

The mare also won a 2600-metre Listed race at Riccarton a week before her New Zealand Cup success.

“She has come over for the Adelaide Cup,” Walker said.

Walker said the mare’s best form is over further than the 2000m of Saturday’s event.

“But she had a couple of jumpouts, there’s a nice Listed race at Moonee Valley in two weeks over 2500 metres and then she runs in the Adelaide Cup,” he said.

Mehzebeen will jump from the inside barrier in Saturday’s race with star jockey Blake Shinn to ride.

Shinn has formed a good association with the Te Akau Racing stable in recent times, including winning the Karaka Millions 3YO on Damask Rose for the trans-Tasman operation last month at Ellerslie.

“Blake Shinn is on her so that is a big bonus,” Walker said.

“Whatever she does, she will be better once she gets up in trip to those other distances, but she should be thereabouts at the finish anyway.”

The New Zealand Cup win took five-year-old Mehzebeen’s record to five wins from 19 career starts and Walker is hopeful the stayer can measure up in an Adelaide Cup.

“It’s quite a genuine two-mile race at Riccarton and she won it pretty well,” he said.

“Obviously they’ll be a better class of horse, but she just keeps stepping up most campaigns, so she should be a chance.”

The G2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) is on March 10 at Morphettville, with the Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on February 21.

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