Plenty of merit in runner-up finish

With the stunning victory of Noverre in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) you could be forgiven missing the gallant performance of runner-up Meritable.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained colt has been a model of consistency in his five career starts, having finished second behind the talented Pareanui Bay in the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) and a close-up fourth in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).

Things didn’t go to plan at the start for the son of Snitzel, who was expected to be a pace-influence, with jockey Matthew Cameron reverting to plan B.

“It was a super run, he’s a horse who normally goes forward, we kind of mucked-up the start a little bit,” Cameron said.

“We were a bit slow so we went back, it was a moderate enough pace, they stacked up a bit before the turn and it got a bit messy.

“I thought given where the favourite was (back last), we needed to get on that three-wide train and try and pocket them in as much as I could because I knew my horse would probably come up short at a mile.

“The better horse on the day beat him but I’m very proud of him, he’s a lovely colt going forward.”

Meritable is bred and raced by the China Horse Club and is likely to have a spell after the trip south.