Today the stable have officially retired our stable star Meryl.
Purchased by Frank & Christine Cook and given to Lee to train on the back of Lasqueti Spirit’s 2016 VRC Oaks. Meryl was a beautiful, strong, precocious looking yearling, a daughter of first season sire Epaulette from the winning Made of Gold mare Academy Idol. She was so beautifully named after Meryl Streep.
From 14 starts she was a Group 3 winner twice & multiple stakes placegetter. She never raced outside Stakes company.
She has been an absolute joy to have in our stable.
Meryl showed she was above average almost immediately after coming in to the stable. She trialled brilliantly at the official two year old trials and had her first start in the Gimcrack Stakes where she finished 6th. She then spelled and returned for a first up win in the Group 3 BJ McLauchlan 1200m at Doomben which gained her a start in the $2m 2yo Magic Millions. Unfortunately she was flattened in the race and finished back in the field.
She returned in the Spring of 2018 in Sydney and took a couple of runs to hit her straps before running 2nd in the Listed Heritage Stakes. She then went to Melbourne which is where she really flourished. She won the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes at Mooney Valley with ease. Finished third at Caulfield in the Thoroughbred Club Stakes behind Sunlight and third at Flemington in the Group 3 Red Roses beaten 0.4L and giving the rest of the field 4kgs.
Meryl didn’t come up in the Autumn and was sent back out for a spell and returned to racing in Melbourne last Spring. This prep was highlighted by a huge run in the Group 2 Ian McEwan Stakes at Mooney Valley and a top run when finishing 6th beaten 1.3L in the Group 1 Moir Stakes behind Nature Strip. Mooney Valley was definitely her favoured track.
Our beautiful girl has taken our family, staff & her wonderful group of owners, a Christine Cook all ladies lease to some wonderful places and we are so grateful to Meryl & the Cooks for the experience.
She will now live out her days amongst the Cook’s broodmare band at Fairview Park and we cant wait to see her in her new role as a Mum.