Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
A pair of black-type performers coming out of the Cambridge stable of Stephen Marsh are eye-catching young broodmare prospects available for purchase in the National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Marsh Racing is selling the Group Three performer Merchant Queen (Merchant Navy) and the Listed-placed Ortega (NZ) (Reliable Man), with the duo catalogued as Lot 50 and Lot 57 respectively.
Merchant Queen is by Merchant Navy out of a four-time winning O’Reilly mare, from the family of Group One winners Headturner (Anabaa), Anacheeva (Anabaa) and O’Marilyn (O’Reilly) and other high-class performers such as Viennetta (NZ) (Pins) and Butterscotch (NZ) (Gold Brose).
Bought by Stephen Marsh Racing for A$180,000 as a yearling in Australia, Merchant Queen had 21 starts for four wins and two stakes placings.
She went unbeaten through the first three starts of her career, including a defeat of the stakes-winning Ethereal Star (Snitzel) at Ellerslie in January of 2024. She then ran second behind multiple Group One winner Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Millions night.
Merchant Queen’s other stakes placing also came behind a multiple Group One winner, running third to star stablemate El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) in the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m).
“She’s a very fast mare with a quality pedigree behind her,” Marsh said. “She ran second to a top-class horse in Crocetti in the Almanzor at Ellerslie, and both of her stakes placings were behind multiple Group One winners.
“She had a lot of class and has a terrific pedigree page. I think she’ll be really good buying.”
In contrast to many other progeny of Reliable Man, who often hit their stride at the age of three and above, Ortega was a precocious juvenile who won at Pukekohe in her second start and then placed in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m).
She added another two victories as a three-year-old, at Matamata and Te Rapa, and finished her career as a three-time winner from 15 starts.
“She had some good ability and went very early for a Reliable Man, being stakes-placed at two,” Marsh said. “She won a strong three-year-old race at Te Rapa too.
“She’s a good type and a good mare. It’s always nice to see a mare with the speed and precocity to perform at that level as a two-year-old. She was a good, natural runner, and I think she can pass those attributes on.”
Ortega’s dam Rayas (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) won four times and placed in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m). Rayas is also a full-sister to the Group Two winner Lasarla (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and half-sister to the Listed winner and Group Three-placed Changing Eyes (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe).
The 2026 National Online Breeding Stock Sale is now open for bidding on Gavelhouse Plus. The first lot closes from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 8 July.
