The Yulong colours were in the winner’s circle at Canterbury on Wednesday carried by a pair of promising horses by Triple Crown hero Justify (USA) with a maiden win for three year-old colt Officiate followed by a super impressive return for lightly raced four year-old mare Mergeila.
Tom Magnier has acquired a good number of high class racemares in recent years to add to the stellar broodmare band at Coolmore Australia and one of them was $1.3million Magic Millions National Broodmare purchase Invincibella, whose first foal is Mergeila.
A $750,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Yulong from the Coolmore draft, Mergeila had a win and two placings last year before being sidelined through injury and was on the comeback trail in the Benchmark 72 event over 1250m.
Ridden by James McDonald, she thrashed the opposition to win by more than three lengths.
Stable representative Charlie Duckworth revealed Mergeila is held in high regard and stakes goals are on the horizon.
“The owners have had to be patient and were rewarded today,” said Duckworth.
“She's obviously a talented filly who's a lot better than mid-week grade. Right from her very first career trial, we had her ranked up in our top division of three-year-olds and now she's obviously had that time, so she should rip through the grades.
“She's got an entry in a race like the Golden Eagle and that’s obviously a long way from here, but that's sort of grade we're thinking of for her.”
Mergeila is the first winner for the Chris Waller trained Group I winner Invincibella, who is a half-sister to the dam of another of the Waller stable stars in Group I ATC Australian Derby winner Aeliana.
Invincibella has a two year-old Snitzel filly that was bought by Waller Racing/ Mulcaster Bloodstock for $700,000 at Inglis Easter this year and has been named Izzybella.
Invincibella was sent to Kentucky last year and is back in Australia and due to foal to Mergeila’s sire Justify.
