Demerzel (AUS)

2 f Ole Kirk – Apicius by Redoute’s Choice
O: Johnston Thoroughbreds (Mgr: T M Johnston), A P Grant, Horseshoe Investments Pty Ltd (Mgr: R N Russell), G A Crispe, M Shore, D T Moxon, Mrs K L Moxon & D Fodor
B: Evergreen Stud

T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
S: 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale V: Evergreen Stud Farm P: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds, $550,000
W: Ole Kirk @ Vinery Stud Maiden Handicap, 1250m, Canterbury

Promising Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) filly Demerzel improved nicely on her debut performance when posting an impressive maiden victory over 1250 metres at Canterbury on Wednesday. 

Fourth behind the highly regarded Helldeeva (Hellbent) at Warwick Farm on her June 3 debut, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained two-year-old made full use of her gate speed under Tim Clark second time out, leading throughout before drawing clear in the straight to score by 1.8 lengths over Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) filly Consulate. 

Woodenbridge (Wootton Bassett) was a short margin away in third place.

“Very professional performance,” said Bott. 

“She won that at the start, she began so brilliantly, and it was an easy watch from there. I guess the encouraging thing was the last furlong, she got her mind on the job and knuckled down nicely.”

Bott indicated the filly’s future may lie over further distances.

“I think the improvement is really going to come when we can see her over a bit further, I think 1400 and 1600 meters as a three-year-old really going to see her be very effective,” he said.

Riding her for the first time on race day, Clark was equally bullish on the filly’s prospects.

“She’s got brilliant gate speed,” he said. “Travelled comfortably on the rail in front and, I thought she had a comfortable enough time up until about the 600 metres and knowing that there were quite a few first starters behind me, I just asked her to pick up the tempo, where she maintained a good gallop all the way through the line.

“I was quite taken by her the other day [on debut over 1100 metres]. I always felt that getting up to seven [furlongs] or a mile, she’s going to be better suited.

“She’s going to be a really nice filly.”

Purchased for $550,000 from the Evergreen Stud Farm draft at Inglis Easter last year by Waterhouse, Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Demerzel is the second winner from three runners out of winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Apicius, who first foal is 2024 Anzac Day Stakes (Listed, 1400m) winner Epimeles (Dundeel). 

Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk will stand the upcoming season at $110,000 (inc. GST).