No bubbles for Bublitz – just a beer

“I probably will have a couple of beers on the way home I think (laugher),” Oamaru trainer Kaleb Bublitz said after he trained his first winner The Merc, (Royal Aspirations) at Winton today.

The four year old began well and Bublitz positioned him three back on the inside. When the pair trotted past the 400 metre he was able to move him off the inside running line. When the field straightened for the run home The Merc balanced up nicely and trotted home to win by a length from the fast finishing favourite To The Moon And Back.

“He was travelling the whole race and I was feeling pretty confident turning for home. Today was the first time he’s given me the feeling he used to. It was good.”

THE MERC REPLAY

Today was the gelding’s eighteenth start and as a two year old he ran third in the G3 New Zealand Two Year Old Trotting Stakes and second in the G1 Ace Of Clubs.

“He went quite good at two and we had quite a lot of fun with him. Through his three year old season we just had issues that kept coming back. We had a lot of trouble keeping him sound and keeping him happy.”

This season The Merc’s form has been solid and a win has been eminent.

“Once he’s fit he doesn’t take a lot of work at all.”

The Merc noticeably sweats up when he hits the track, but Bublitz says that doesn’t affect his raceday performance.

“He’s always been a free sweater. Even when I bought him at the sales as a yearling and was broken in he was sweating all the time.”

Kaleb owns 50% of The Merc with this parents Andrew and Libby owning 40% while his sister Jordyn owns 10%.

“The colours (red and white) come from Mum’s side of the family. They trained gallopers.”

Bublitz works for Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson who provided him with his first driving winner, Our Pinocchio at Invercargill in October 2021.

“I’m a Cambridge boy so a long way from home. Oamaru is a second home. I’ve been down here long enough (four years) and they treat me like one of their own. They have been very good to me, the Williamsons.”

Bublitz will be in the passenger’s seat tonight travelling home with his employer who also trained a winner today when Missile won the main trot of the day. So there’ll be plenty of ‘win’ chat.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink