A second stakes success for Meriden

Bated Breath's Meriden has been a rapid improver this season and earned her second stakes victory in yesterday’s Listed Listowel Stakes over  a mile at the Co. Kerry track.

Taken from the European Bloodstock News, 23rd September 2026:

The daughter of Bated Breath made the running under Chris Hayes and began to draw clear of her rivals over a furlong from home. She stayed on well in the closing stages to prevail by a length and three quarters from Jessica Harrington’s four-year-old gelding Iron Fist, who got unbalanced at halfway and hung left inside the final furlong. Stephen’s Thorne’s fellow four-year-old gelding Jagged Edge (Blue Point) was a further three quarters of a length adrift in third.

This was the 13th run of a busy campaign for Meriden, who was unraced last year at two. From May to July, she notched up five consecutive victories, headlined by her success in the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney. She had been last seen contesting the Gr.1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.

Bred by Juddmonte, she was sold for 32,000gns to Avenue Bloodstock, on behalf of Patrick O’Brien, who owns the filly alongside Mrs Paul Shanahan, at last year’s Tattersalls July Sale. She is a half-sister to the Listed-placed Halfway Line, out of the Gr.3 Prix Imprudence runner-up Midweek. This Juddmonte family also features the likes of the Gr.1 winners and champions Elmaamul, Reams Of Verse and Midday (Oasis Dream), as well as this year’s Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Ancient Egypt (Frankel).