Beau Mertens ended an emotional week the same way he started it when he partnered speedy filly Spicy Margs to something of a surprise victory at Caulfield on Saturday.
Mertens, who also rode the final winner Golden Path last Saturday at Flemington, said he and his family were so grateful for the immense support from family and friends after farewelling his 60-year-old father Peter in a service at Caulfield just 48 hours earlier.
‘’It was a beautiful service,’’ Mertens reflected on Thursday’s gathering.
‘’Speaking on behalf of all my family, they thought it was absolutely fantastic to see the amount of people and their love and affection they have for Dad.’’
The winner was Mertens’ 98th in Victoria in this his breakout season and he said he felt there were more wins in store for Spicy Margs, who was having just her second start after being unplaced in her only outing in the spring.
‘’She’s very speedy, first time sitting on her,’’ Mertens said of the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained filly. ‘’She jumped out of the machine and jumped straight to on the bridle and gave me a beautiful ride.
‘’She just travelled so nicely, especially at this tight-turning track she was able to carry herself around it so well.
‘’At the 400, I gave her a little squeeze and to me she felt like she picked up and sprinted really well.’’
Mertens was certainly greeted with a number of happy faces as many of the owners were on hand to cheer him and the Deep Field filly home.
Part-owner Emma Shelley later told Racing.com that 70 women were involved in the ownership of the filly after she was purchased for $340,000 out of the Magic Millions sale.
By Racing.Com