Brian Meehan

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2008 Record: (1-1-0-0)

2008 Earnings: $300,000

2008 Win %: 100% In-The-Money %: 100%

Born: June 16, 1967
Residence: Manton, Wiltshire, England ... Meehan is in his third season at Manton, the former base of Michael Dickinson and John Gosden, among others
Family: wife, Kim; children, Katherine and Frank
Web site: www.brianmeehan.com
Racing Background: Brought up in County Limerick, Ireland, where his father, Conor, was an orthopedic surgeon who owned a few racehorses ... Started riding for local trainer Andrew McNamara while still at school ... First job in racing was at the Irish National Stud, where he stayed for 20 months ... Served a six-year stint as assistant to Richard Hannon before taking out his training licence on Dec. 1, 1992
Racing Career: His first top-class horse was Tomba, a tough and talented colt who earned Meehan his first Group 1 win in the 1998 Prix de la Foret. Previously he had provided his trainer with his first Royal Ascot success when taking the Cork and Orrery Stakes ... Other Group 1 winners have been Bad As I Wanna Be (2000 Prix Morny), Kaieteur (2002 Grosser Dallmayr Preis), Buy The Sport (2003 Gazelle Handicap), Magical Romance (2004 Cheveley Park Stakes) and Donna Blini (2005 Cheveley Park Stakes) ... Meehan saddled Buy The Sport for the G1 Gazelle; she was moved to Robert Barbara’s barn after that race for her fifth-place run in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Distaff … At the end of 2005, he was selected by the Sangster family to take over from John Gosden at their lavish Manton training facility, which has been home to 33 classic winners over the last 130 years. It has three all-weather gallops with automatic irrigation systems and a superb variety of grass gallops ... His first winner from his new yard was David Junior (winner of the G1 Champion Stakes the previous year when Meehan was based in Lambourn) in the $3.3 million Dubai Duty Free (G1) at Nad al Sheba, which he won. David Junior also won the 2006 Coral Eclipse Stakes (G1) ... Red Rocks prevailed in the 2006 Turf to give Meehan his first win in his first Breeders' Cup start and Red Rocks made a bold effort to retain his crown in 2007, finishing third ... In terms of winning the top quality races, the last two seasons have been disappointing for Meehan. In 2008, one notable exception was provided by the G1 Man o' War Stakes victory of Red Rocks (beating 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin). This was supposed to be his final start for Meehan before joining Mark Hennig but Red Rocks has since rejoined the Manton handler. Another bright moment came when Crowded House won the 2008 Racing Post Tophy (G1) ... At the start of the 2009 season, Meehan had 150 horses in his care, including the winter-book favorite for the Epsom Derby, Crowded House. The colt, primarily owned by J. Paul Reddam, had a difficult spring with a respiratory infection and finished sixth, only eight lengths behind superstar Sea the Stars before being sidelined. .... Another top three-year-old, Delegator, also ran afoul of Sea the Stars, finishing second to that rival before finishing a neck behind Mastercraftsman in the St James' Palace Stakes (G1) and later winning the Celebration Mile (G2) for new owners Godolphin. ... Has another good 2yo with G2 winner Radiohead, twice G1-placed and pointing toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. ... The highlight of Meehan's frustrating '09 season has been the G1 Prix Morny success of undefeated Arcano, who has since been put away until his 3yo season. ... Was the buyer (through Hugo Merry Bloodstock) and initial trainer of Andrew Rosen's 2009 G1 winner Icon Project, a $775,000 yearling, now in America with Marty Wolfson. Remains an advisor for Rosen. ... Through Oct. 18, he had saddled 57 winners from 456 runners and $1.69 million and stood in 13th place in the British Trainers' Championship.
Breeding/Racing Operation: Often using Hugo Merry Bloodstock, Meehan buys about 20 yearlings a year, and is active at 2-year-old sales. ... Major owner J. Paul Reddam also buys horses already running to augment his stable.

Breeders' Cup Record

Starts	1st	2nd	3rd	Earnings
3	1	0	1	$1,920,000

2006	Classic	David Junior	13th
	Turf	Red Rocks	1st
2007	Turf	Red Rocks	3rd