Bring on the Caulfield Guineas!

Up-and-coming three-year-old Merion is Caulfield Guineas bound after his determined victory in the Listed Living Legends Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Always highly regarded by the stable, Merion was the undefeated winner of two races at two – resuming with a solid fourth in the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes and deriving great benefit from that run.

Appreciating the step up to 1400m on Saturday – and shaping as though the mile will prove right up his alley – Merion will head to the spring Classic via the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.

Enjoying a nice run behind the speed, Merion eased out from the 400m to make his run – quickly joined by short-priced favourite Chivalry who had been so impressive winning the Gr.3 McNeil Stakes at his previous outing.

The pair engaged in an exciting battle over the final stages of the race, Merion finding the line in game fashion to salute by a nose – his third success from just four outings.

Following a similar path to the Caulfield Guineas as did last year’s winner Long John, Merion is a horse described by Michael Moroney as one with “a lot of talent.”

“He is a very serious racehorse,” he said, adding that “to do what he did at two when he really didn’t know what he was doing was a sign of things to come.”

And he is confident that Merion still has further scope, noting that “he hasn’t really turned in the coat yet.”

Rated by Paul Moroney as the best colt at the 2013 Karaka Sale, Merion was bred by Kevin Hickman who also bred the multiple Gr.1 winner Silent Achiever – and the pair are both sons of the reliably classy stallion O’Reilly.

Merion is out of the Listed winning Danske mare Sapphire Belle and his grandam is a full sister to the four times Group One winner Alibhai.

Congratulations to Merion’s delighted owners R & C Legh Racing Pty Ltd, J O'Neill, Barclay Nettlefold, Adam Kirkwood-Scott, Carty Racing, Karen Glindemann, Gurners Bloodstock Co, Stephen & Christine Cowan, Philip Mehrten, L A & S J Smith, Richard Oppy and Vincent Ruiu.

And thank you to Darryl Sherer for the winning photo.