Magic Merlin wins Kiwi hearts in a Race to remember

The new prince of pacing Merlin won three titles with one blistering sprint down the Cambridge straight in the $1million The Race by Grins.

The South Auckland four-year-old pacer, a ball of muscle and energy perfectly honed by trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and driven with a wizardry befitting his name by Zachary Butcher, won the richest event in New Zealand harness racing on Friday night.