Trainers pull the pin on Merlin’s campaign

Superstar pacer Merlin’s (Art Major) luckless harness racing campaign has come to an end at least one Group 1 race early.

And co-trainer Barry Purdon says the five-year-old will also miss the Inter Dominions in Brisbane in July.

Purdon and training partner Scott Phelan along with owner Dean Shannon have pulled the pin on Merlin’s autumn campaign after another bad draw meant another luckless run in last Friday’s Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park.

“Not much has gone right from the time he got sick in Sydney so we think now is a good time to ease up on him,” says Purdon.

“He got crook over there and we were able to get him back for the Race by Betcha at Cambridge and we were really proud of how he went [third} there but he has had a series of bad draws and hard runs.

“Next week’s Messenger is 2700m and often a really hard race so we want to do what is right by the horse and give him a spell now.”

That also means missing the Inter Dominions in Brisbane, with have been moved to July and reduced to two rounds of heats.

“We would love to take him there and support the series because we really like what they are doing with it,” explains Purdon.

“The stake going to A$1million is great, the two rounds of heats I think makes sense with the speeds they are racing at these days and I like the new winter date.

“So we will definitely try to support it next year but for this horse right now the best thing is the paddock.”

Merlin joins open class stablemate Duchess Megxit in the paddock after her lacklustre campaign so Purdon and Phelan are likely to only have Sooner The Bettor and maybe Invisible in the Messenger next week.

They can then decide their team for the $100,000 Roy Purdon Memorial, now a Group 1, to be held on May 2 alongside the Rowe Cup.

The race named in honour of Purdon’s late father Roy may have been doubtful for Merlin anyway as it is a 2200m standing start discretionary handicap.

Merlin was the $3.30 second favourite for the Messenger behind Chase A Dream last night, with Republican Party and Don’t Stop Dreaming on the next line of betting.

Meanwhile, Purdon and Phelan have also elected to let their outstanding three-year-old trotter Meant To Be miss this Thursday’s Sires’ Stakes Prelude at Alexandra Park.

“He went into the Harness Million last Friday without a trial and trotted a 2:0 mile rate so rather than go three weeks in a row he can miss this week and head to the Northern Trotting Derby on Friday week,” says Purdon.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand