Former champion filly Merlene has died at the age of 25.
The daughter of Danehill from the vaunted mare Bold Promise (Luskin Star) won the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes in 1996 as well as the G1 AJC Sires' Produice Stakes among her five wins from six starts as a juvenile.
Trained by Lee Freedman and owned by Lloyd Williams and Kerry Packer, Merlene topped the 1995-96 Australasian 2YO Classification
She will always be remembered for her Golden Slipper win as her jockey Greg Hall was fined $50,000 and suspended for two months after causing severe interference in the race.
At stud she was a huge success, leaving nine winners including the G2 winner Merlene De Lago (Encosta de Lago).
Shirley, an unraced mare by Zabeel from Merlene, is the dam of G1 VRC Oaks winner Dear Demi (Dehere).
Merlene's dam Bold Promise was a Magic Millions winner who also was the top filly on the 2YO Classification.
She is also the dam of G1 winner Miss Pennymoney (Brocco) and G3 winner Compulsion (Danehill).
* Queensland's Glenlogan Park Stud has made a successful online bid of $400,000 for the classy Hinchinbrok mare Manaya.
Her sale set a Digital Online Auction record, eclipsing the previous record of $321,000 when she was sold through the Inglis June Online Auction.
New Breed Racing offered Manaya after she missed being entered for the traditional breeding stock sales in May and June.
The July online auction grossed $2,681,800.
