Mufhasa Back to Best

Mufhasa returned to his magnificent best yesterday at Otaki to take New Zealand Bloodstock's Group 1 2009/10 tally to 18 in the Group 1 Fully Fledged at Fairdale WFA Classic (1600m).

New Zealand's reigning Mercedes Horse of the Year, Mufhasa (Pentire x Sheila Cheval, by Mi Preferido) finally got back to the form that saw him claim the Group 1 Telegraph and Group 1 Waikato Draught sprint last season when leading the 10-horse Group 1 field a merry dance in a time which nudged the previous track record.

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Sam Spratt's unwavering support of the gelding has seen her partner Mufhasa on every New Zealand race-day occasion since his Group 2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile victory on 12 November, 2008. Yesterday Spratt was her usual positive self sending Mufhasa to the front and dictating terms at a good tempo which had a majority of the field off the bit as they rounded for home.

Bounding three lengths in front when kicking for home, Mufhasa had run the opposition ragged and was eventually eased to score by a length and three-quarters in a time of 1.32.89, just off Alamosa's track record of 1.32.69.

Trained to perfection by Stephen McKee, Mufhasa took his earnings to $1,340,000 after 12 wins from 1000m to 1600m.

Bred by Rich Hill Stud's father and son partnership of Colin and John Thompson, Mufhasa was purchased by owner David Archer at the 2006 Karaka Select Sale for $50,000, with his two-year-old full-brother Rafhiki secured by the same connections at Karaka Premier last year for $100,000.

A half-brother to Mufhasa by Perfectly Ready was purchased by NZB as agent for Hong Kong for $290,000 from Rich Hill Stud at Karaka Premier this year. Mufhasa's dam, Sheila Cheval, produced a filly by Zabeel in 2009, and is expected to foal to the champion sire again this spring.

Mufhasa is one of 14 individual Group 1 winners this season that have graduated from New Zealand Bloodstock, and the seventh at a mile joining the likes of Katie Lee, Allez Wonder, Beauty Flash, Eileen Dubh, Ekstreme, and Wall Street.

Click here for a full list of NZB Group 1 graduates 2009/10.