Spicy Margs runs hot at Caulfield to lift Beau Mertens’ spirits
Three days after farewelling his late father and Group 1 jockey Peter Mertens in a beautiful service at Caulfield, son Beau returned a winner aboard Spicy Margs to rollicking celebrations.
Spicy Margs, a pacy all-female owned daughter of Deep Field prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, led all the way to win the 1100m 2YO Handicap on Saturday.
Peter Moody-trained favourite Sensical set out after Spicy Margs but could not get closer than 2¼ lengths with Elderberry and Pure Paradise making up the first four.
“I speak on behalf of all my family, it was an absolute fantastic to see the amount of people and love and connection they had with dad,” Mertens said of last Thursday’s service.
“I listened to plenty of good stories from his old mates, it was a beautiful service, and I couldn’t thank the club enough.”
Spicy Margs gave Mertens “a beautiful ride” also.
“She’s very speedy … she jumped out of the machines and jumped straight on to the bridle, gave me a beautiful ride and travelled so nicely,” Mertens said.
“Especially this tight turning track, she was able to carry herself around it so well … this track is going to suit horses like that, that make their own luck.”
The $340,000 Magic Millions yearling jumped, led, dictated and sprinted clear in front of a throng of vocal owners, including Price-Kent Jr office manager Emma Shelley.
“I can’t believe it, there’s 70 ladies in this horse and Mick said during the week I’m not sure if she’ll get the distance,” Shelley said.
“Everyone is like, ‘Do I jump on? What do I do?’ and just before the jump I got on, so I was cheering even more, I can’t believe it, just rapt for the team.
“There’s some partner of Mick’s long-time owners’ (partners), there’s a heap of my friends in her.
“Mick did an update when we first bought her at Magics and said, ‘If you bought your husband a lawnmower get him to buy you a share in this racehorse!’”
Spicy Margs, who eased in betting to jump at $11 with TAB, burned the grass on Saturday.
Morning on the rise
Our Red Morning has emerged as a stakes mare-in-the-making with a soft win at Caulfield on Saturday.
The New Zealand import, which landed in the lap of trainer Greg Eurell, showed no mercy in the 1400m 3YO Handicap to win by three lengths under a hold.
“It was a good find over there and nice to bump into one of our clients (Craig Dawson), he’s been very good to us and sent another good one across,” Eurell said.
“The owner Craig, he said ‘I’ve got a filly here you might be interested in, have a look at the replay and see what you think, if you like her he said I’ll send her across’.
“I had a look at the replay and she only placed that day but she ran really good … bought two yearlings when we went across and she was the bonus of the trip.”
Apprentice jockey Matthew Cartwright, who has ridden six winners the past five days, settled just worse than midfield aboard Our Red Morning but quickly rounded up the opposition at the top of the straight.
Our Red Morning raced with her head to one side, a combination of greenness and blustery conditions potentially, but powered away for an effortless win.
“I thought it was a pretty soft win, to be honest, just the way she went about it, blended in, came wide and still had good acceleration to finish off,” Eurell said.
“Probably laid in a little bit, didn’t help herself in that regard either, pound for pound it was a very good effort and going forward 1600m is not going to worry her one bit.”
Eurell has stakes ambitions for the rising four-year-old in the spring.
“She’s a little bit awkward … she’s not helping herself, but if she gets it all together she’s going to be a bit of a force in a couple of nice races I would think,” Eurell said.
