Sydney on Merion’s radar

6 March 2015

The Sydney autumn carnival awaits Merion, as long as the New Zealand-bred races up to expectations this weekend.

The son of O’Reilly must first pass a test in the Gr.1 $A500,000 Australian Guineas at Flemington.

“This is the race we’ve aimed him at and he’s had two runs now,” trainer Mike Moroney said.

Merion was third when resuming and last time out he was fourth behind Wandjina in the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes.

“He’ll be on trial for Sydney at Flemington on Saturday. There are lots of options for a good three-year-old like him up there so we’ll see how he runs here first,” Moroney said.

Ardrossan’s Group 1-placed darling wins A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes

Second and fourth in 1600m Group 1 races in her two previous starts since being purchased privately by OTI Racing and stepping out in Australia under Chris Waller’s racing banner, De Armas (Ardrossan) stepped up in distance at Flemington on Saturday and opened her Australian account in style in the A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day.

30 October 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

The writing of my Corner started many years ago, motivated by an irritation that I felt needed scratching. It was never my intention to make my commentary regular; neither did I intend to reinvent the direction of racing administration. It is both disappointing and ironical that what should be a simple, straightforward business provides a regular need for comment.