Another day, another winner as Merlin doubles up
23 June 2026
Another day, another winner. On Monday, the Blue Diamond Stud-bred Merlin The Wizard struck again, making it back-to-back wins for trainer Ray Cody with an authoritative score at Ballinrobe.
His win follows hot on the heels of O J Lifestyle, who won again for Gary and Josh Moore at Brighton on Sunday. Prix Paul de Moussac winner Remmooz, the Queen's Vase third Ranga Tang, Munster Oaks third Bosphorous Rose and Listed-placed Nebras have also represented the stud to good effect in the past two weeks.
It was the fifth win overall for Merlin The Wizard, who was a smart handicapper for us prior to his sale to race on in Ireland.
"I told Dylan to pop out and be handy, and to settle him where he was comfortable, and he gave him a brilliant ride," trainer Ray Cody told reporters. "I was happy watching it, because I knew it was going to be hard for the fancied ones to come from the back.
"The last day when he won (at Limerick) it turned into a three-furlong sprint and he was tapped for toe a bit, so I wanted him to be handy and that's usually the way to ride them around here.
"His owners are from Galway and that's the plan for him now. It will be more competitive there, but this was a nice race to win anyway."
The Camelot gelding is the first foal out of Italian Group 3 winner Sweet Gentle Kiss, by Henrythenavigator. Also dam of the winning Pratigya, Sweet Gentle Kiss has a two-year-old filly by Palace Pier named Oceanist with Andrew Balding and a filly foal by Baaeed. She visited Vandeek this season.
