Meon Valley Stud’s black and white spotted silks are instantly recognisable among the ranks of great British owner-breeders, seen at the highest level by the likes of Milligram, Zee Zee Top and One So Wonderful.
As the Hampshire farm set out to produce middle-distance and Classic prospects from the time it was developed in 1980, it is no great surprise that once in a while a National Hunt horse will emerge instead.
During March, Meon Valley reached even greater heights in that department as Golden Ace claimed one of the most dramatic renewals of the Champion Hurdle in recent memory.
Another graduate from the stud, Familiar Dreams, burnished her promising career in the Grade 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick during the same week, making the winner of the TBA Breeder of the Month an obvious choice.
“We’re very flattered to be nominated,” says Mark Weinfeld, Meon Valley’s managing partner.
“Even if by accident rather than design, a Champion Hurdle winner is still something to be very proud of.”
While neither winner was expected in the betting, each had already shown plenty of good winning form already.
“I’m not sure we’ve had two Graded wins in a month before but the same two mares did win stakes races last year,” Weinfeld explains.
“Familiar Dreams won a Listed Irish National Hunt Flat Race at the end of March and then a Grade 3 at Punchestown in early May, and then of course Golden Ace won the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last year, beating Brighterdaysahead by nearly two lengths.
“Then she also won the Listed mares novices’ hurdle at the Cheltenham April meeting. So that was a pretty exciting year as well, but not as special as this year.”
Golden Ace, a daughter of Golden Horn, is the second foal out of Dubawi mare Deuce Again, who raced for John Gosden and won Nottingham’s Listed Further Flight Stakes in 2015 before finishing third in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester.
Now seven, Golden Ace was also originally in training at the same stable before being bought by her unrelated owner, Ian Gosden, for 12,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2021.
“She is the great-great granddaughter of our foundation mare Home And Away, who was purchased as a yearling by my father in 1978,” says Weinfeld.
“This family has produced some very good horses including San Sebastian [won Prix du Cadran], Noushkey [Lancashire Oaks], Chesa Plana [Listed winner in Germany] and Alkaased [Japan Cup].”
Golden Ace has spent all of her racing career with Jeremy Scott and had warmed up for Cheltenham with a win in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
Sent off at 25-1, she had to nearly dodge a falling Constitution Hill at the fourth last before building her momentum under Lorcan Williams. Golden Ace was the one to take advantage when State Man also came down at the final flight and she stormed up the hill to glory by nine lengths.
Weinfeld was among the international audience sharing in the drama.
“It was heart-in-mouth and disbelief, particularly when just missing Constitution Hill after he had fallen,” he says. “What a tough mare she has turned out to be.”
Meon Valley has sold a few of Deuce Again’s offspring onwards and the 14-year-old should have plenty more to come, with Weinfeld adding: “She has a Teofilo yearling colt but was unfortunately barren to Cracksman last year. We have sent the mare back to Golden Horn.”
It will not escape pedigree anoraks’ attentions that the stud has had another profound impact on the National Hunt scene. It bred the late Overbury great Kayf Tara, who was sold at the Tattersalls Houghton Sale in 1995 and twice landed the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
Along with the likes of Thistlecrack and Special Tiara, Kayf Tara is the sire of one of the most exciting young prospects in the Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion, a fine winner of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham meeting.
Meanwhile Familiar Dreams descends from the line of another of the four foundation mares, One In A Million, which includes the brilliant miler Milligram and continues to flourish.
“It always gives us great pleasure to see horses we have sold go to do well,” says Weinfeld, who can head into the main business of the Flat season full of enthusiasm.
