Purchasing a thoroughbred is a big risk and owners are constantly being made aware of the financial dangers, but what do we tell the connections of Merovee?
Have Your Say 🗣: Will connections make their $1.6m back with Merovee or not? – Leave a comment below
The blue-blood colt by Frankel x. More Strawberries sold for $1.6 million to a large group of owners at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, but it’s fair to say the connections won’t be seeing that money again from this runner.
It’s not to say that the three-year-old doesn’t possess ability, because that would be unfair, but he has won only $64,300 from four race day starts to date and he’s got a long way to go to break even.
Merovee lines up in Saturday’s Chris Toogood Farewell BM80 at Rosehill and bookmakers have been cautious this time around. In four starts to date, Merovee has started at odds of $3 or shorter, but he is currently $6.50 for Saturday’s run.
The only time he ran at double figure odds was at Randwick second-up where he produced a solid effort for second behind Super Ex as a $15 chance.
That came following his maiden win at Newcastle (Beaumont) where winning jockey Hugh Bowman had plenty of good things to say.
“I was able to get moving when it suited me and I loved the way he dug deep the last 100 because he had a fight on his hands and for an inexperienced horse to respond the way he did I thought was a very good sign,” said Bowman, who also admitted that it might need time to mature.
“To my eye he still looks very immature physically so he’s going to develop into a much nicer horse in time but I’ll leave Chris to manage him, he does a pretty good job at it.”
Connections will be hoping Chris Waller can work his magic this campaign and find Merovee some stakes success, but they’re in for some disappointment if his trial form is anything to go by.
He returned to the track on January 4 at Warwick Farm where he finished last of eight runners. There was little to be excited about as the colt finished some 12 lengths behind winner Our Crown Witness.
11 days later he was given another trial at Warwick Farm and there was little improvement. Chris Waller’s expensive prospect was beaten 6.7 lengths by Super Too and signs of encouragement for the season to come are quickly diminishing.
It’s safe to say that connections won’t be getting their $1.6 million back on the race track, but that doesn’t put an end to his overall value.
He only needs to win one of the weaker stakes races to become a stud prospect. His breeding is very attractive and even being a race winner could see his stud price soar, but a stakes win would take him to another level.
Punters won’t be seeing a superstar in Merovee, but connections shouldn’t give up hope that their headline purchase won’t return them some profit in the long run.