Hogan's hero Meriden completes hat-trick under Sheridan Juddmonte Farms-bred Meriden (4/1) completed a hat-trick of handicap wins today, landing Leopardstown’s Gain The Advantage Series Handicap for owner Patrick O’Brien, jockey Joey Sheridan and trainer Denis Hogan. From a fine Juddmonte-family and related to top-class performers Elmaamul and Reams Of Verse, Meriden was bought unraced as a two-year-old last July for 32,000gns and while unplaced on her initial four attempts, today followed up recent Down Royal and Curragh successes. Racing behind the leaders, Meriden quickened well to lead inside the final furlong to score by 2.25 lengths from Green Kite. It was Meriden's third consecutive success in a fortnight, with trainer Hogan revealing “we all but took her out due to the ground and while I said if I heard 'heavy' in the description that I'd scratch her, in fairness Patrick (O’Brien, owner) put my mind at ease. He said that she's a long-term breeding prospect and that she's not going for resale, so if she doesn't handle it it wasn’t the end of the world. "She is improving. She seems to drift left in her races but I thought that was ideal coming to Leopardstown, although she ended up on the worst of the ground. She is gutsy and is ‘on the improve’. "When fillies are in form, that's why I like to run them because you don't know where they'll end up when they are on-song. She is in on Derby Weekend where she actually needs 7lb to get in, so that was some of the reason behind running today. It comes a bit soon, so we'll see how she is." Quotes from John O’Riordan
