Darby Racing have enjoyed much success as syndicators with the horses they buy at the sales, but Iowna Merc, who gave them a stakes-win on New Year’s Day in the Listed ATC Canterbury Sprint (1200m) is a horse bred and retained by Scott Darby.
The five year-old gelding by Winning Rupert has been a prolific metropolitan winner for the Bjorn Baker stable and had been stakes placed twice in Listed races last year.
He found a race to suit in this assignment and charged to the line with a well timed run for Ashley Morgan to win by half a length taking his overall record to six wins and eight placings from 19 starts with prizemoney just shy of $670,000.
Stable representative Luke Hilton was thrilled with the result and the continuing run of big race wins for the Bjorn Baker stable with Darby Racing horses including Overpass, Robusto and Within the Law all winning rich races through December.
Iowna Merc is the fifth stakes-winner for Written Tycoon stallion Winning Rupert, who now stands in Western Australia at Geisel Park.
Bred by Scott Darby, Iowna Merc is the best of three winners from placed Snitzel mare Mercedes, a half-sister to stakes-winner Divine Centuri. She died in 2023 and her last foal is an unnamed two year-old gelding by Time to Reign.
Interestingly , Iowna Merc is another stakes-winner bred on the Written Tycoon x Snitzel nick which has enjoyed a real surge of success this season.
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