The Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale next week will feature a major dispersal of stock from Ian Smith’s Edinburgh Park and their success was highlighted on Saturday when quality three year--old filly Royal Merchant became the first Group I winner for her sire Merchant Navy when taking out the $500,000 Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Royal Merchant was a last start winner of the Group II SAJC Tobin Bronze Stakes and made it back to back stakes wins over the same course.
Ridden by Mick Dee, she hit the line hard with a well-timed run to beat older mares Another Award and Zapateo in a hectic finish.
Her victory capped an amazingly successful Adelaide carnival for the Maher and Eustace stable, who have won three of the four Group I races and finished second in the other.
“We were hopeful of getting a placing, but we didn’t expect a win. It’s a credit to her as she’s incredibly tough. She’s had to dance every dance,” David Eustace said.
“She’s delivered and full credit to Mickey Dee, who kept it nice and smooth. I was confident at the top of the straight she would be in the finish.”
“She’s very, very tough. It took us a bit of time to work out what her best trip is and a strong 1200m is her go. That’s a big effort from a three-year-old filly.”
Dee heads to Hong Kong next week following a super successful season and rode Royal Merchant last start and again today.
“She gave me a better feeling than last start. Full credit to the team. They got her a black-type last start and now another one,” Dee said.
“I had to do it the hard way. She was wide and I pressed the button too early. It was an amazing effort from her.”
Bred and sold by Edinburgh Park, Royal Merchant was bought by Ciaron Maher for $160,000 at Magic Millions and has the overall record of four wins and four placings from 12 starts with prizemoney topping $582,000.
She is the second stakes-winner for Merchant Navy, whose other stakes-winner Steel City is also trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, probably no coincidence as Maher was the original trainer for Merchant Navy when he won his first four starts.
Merchant Navy has relocated this spring and will stand at Kooringal Stud at a fee of $13,200.
Royal Merchant is the first winner for Seventhchic, a metro winning half-sister to stakes-placed Alburq tracing in tail female line to blue hen Eau D’Etoile, the dam of Group I winners Bint Marscay, Filante and Kenny’s Best Pal.
Edinburgh Park sold a yearling colt from Seventhchic by The Autumn Sun at Magic Millions this year for $170,000 and she has a filly to follow by Graff and was covered by Palace Pier (GB) last spring.
Click to see what mares are in the Edinburgh Park unreserved dispersal.
