WARRNAMBOOL trainer Aaron Purcell won his second Group 1 race within weeks and answered any critics when Merchant Navy got up in the last stride to win the $1.5 million Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
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The quietly-spoken Purcell took over Ciaron Maher’s stable when he was suspended for six months over an ownership dispute.
Warrnambool businessman Colin McKenna, who is a part-owner of Merchant Navy, was delighted with the well-bred colt’s win.
“It was a really exciting finish,” McKenna said.
“It was an amazing win. I gave Merchant Navy no chance at the 100-metre mark.
“He finished the race off really strongly. He’s a top colt. The win is a wonderful result for Aaron.
“There are some people who may have thought he was not up to the task of training the horses after Ciaron was outed. I’m sure this will shut the doubters up. Aaron is a top trainer in his own right.”
VRC Oaks favourite Aloisia gave Purcell his first Group 1 victory when she won the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield last month.
Purcell said Merchant Navy’s win was satisfying.
“I took over the stable of a bunch of expensive, nice horses,” he said. “There were expectations and with expectations come pressure. I’m lucky the structures that were put in place before I got there were excellent.”
Jukebox ran 14th in the Coolmore while Ocean’s Fourteen ran 10th in the VRC Derby for Purcell.
