Duchess Megxit retired from racing - "it's been an incredible ride"

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

Former 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year Duchess Megxit has been retired and is now in foal to Captaintreacherous.

The decision to call time on her racing career was made after a series of performances that were clearly below her best. Her last race was an eighth in the Woodlands Mares' Spring series at Addington in September.  

"She just has not been performing as we know she can," says co-owner Tom Patterson.

Patterson has a close connection to the daughter of Sweet Lou. His Patterson Bros Racing Syndicate raced the horse along with the Centaurus Syndicate, the Par Then Bar Racing Syndicate and Elton's John Syndicate.

"We had 30 or so in the ownership and we had some good times .... it's been an incredible ride."

"She was also the last horse my uncle (Michael Ward) bred before he passed away and goes back to the breed he raced with his good friend Jack Smolenski."

"She is definitely the best horse we have ever raced."

Trained by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, Duchess Megxit was a multiple Group 1 winner.

In all she won 12 from 23 including the New Zealand Pacing Oaks, the Sires' Stakes 3YO Fillies Championship and the Queen Of Hearts.

"Her biggest win was the New Zealand Oaks but the most exhilarating was that Queen Of Hearts in Auckland."

Duchess Megxit was 10 lengths off the lead with 900 to go with Princess Meritaten having it all her own way out front.

"I remember the commentator Aaron White saying 'she's going to have the run the hands off the clock to win this'," says Patterson.

And she did.

Duchess Megxit made her move down the back and was three wide turning in before running down Princess Meritaten and winning by a neck.

"The way she could hold speed was incredible," says Patterson.

In a Nevele R Series heat at Alexandra Park she won by five lengths after reeling off her last 800 in 53.8 seconds. It remains one of the fastest sectionals ever at the Park.  

In her 3YO season last year she was a class above, with 10 wins, three seconds and one third in 14 starts.

The decision to retire her is bittersweet for Patterson.

"We thought her best was still to come but she's not right and we had to do the right thing."
     
They then had to work out which stallion to go to.

"She's a Sweet Lou so we had plenty of options but we thought Captain T was the obvious one," says Patterson.

"We just got the news she's returned a positive - hopefully she'll be as a good mum as she was a racehorse."