Seventh Winner for Merchant Navy

Breednet - Sunday Jul 24

Merchant Navy brought up winner number seven with a tough debut winner at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

Diana's Affair as a yearling

Tackling 1200m at his first start, Diana’s Affair was let find his feet early by James Orman before producing a determined finish to out point early leader and short-priced favourite Big Sky Country.

The third foal of unraced Northern Meteor mare, Diana’s Star, Diana’s Affair was a $210,000 buy for Kelly Schweida from the Segenhoe Strud draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Advertisement

Diana’s Star has a rising two-year-old filly by Not A Single Doubt, named Hinata, bought by Cambridge Stud for $425,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, as well as a weanling by Snitzel and was served by So You Think last season.

Fastnet Rock’s Champion 3YO Sprinter, Merchant Navy stands at Coolmore this spring at $27,500.

Advertisment

Race Result - Simon George & Sons Mdn Plate 1200m

Sunshine Coast Track: Heavy(9) Time: 1:14.62
1
Diana's Affair
- 2g Merchant Navy (AUS) x Diana's Star (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: K M Schweida Rdr: James Orman 57
2
0.2
Big Sky Country
- 2c Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Jaunty (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Ben Thompson 57
3
2.7
Sir Leonidas
- 2g Nostradamus (AUS) x Fireglo (AUS) (Choisir (AUS))
Tnr: P & W Hulbert Rdr: M R Du Plessis 57
4
8.2
Lady Deanne
- 2f Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Hypernova (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: R L Cameron Rdr: Madeleine Wishart 55
5
21.2
The Veresdale
- 2g The Mission (AUS) x Jokes N Jazz (USA) (It's No Joke (USA))
Tnr: L G Ross Rdr: Jasmine Cornish 55
More Reading...
Inglis Digital Purchase Iron Hawk to Tackle G3 TAB Mile
Harness racing trainer Barry Purdon bought Iron Hawk last year with New Zealand Cup Week in mind, and now the moment has arrived, with the stakes performer set to tackle the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday.
Remembering Northerly – The Greatest Caulfield Cup Winner This Century
It's Caulfield Cup week, and what better moment to revisit the life and times of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - Caulfield Cup winner of the modern era.
Racing Industry Mourns Much Loved Izzy Neale
The thoroughbred racing industry is devastated tonight following news that apprentice jockey Izzy Neale, aged 22, has tragically died as the result of a race fall at Warren on Sunday.
G1 Aussie Pedigree Watch –Newly Minted
Pedigree does matter if you want to be winning races longer than 1200m, although in an interesting twist a colt bred on face value for speed is in fact from the family of Zabeel.
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 9
Here is the full list of 20 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Remembering Sunline – The Queen of the Cox Plate Before Winx
From our vantage point in 2026, we can look back at modern Cox Plate history and marvel at how quickly the years are passing.
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
It’s been a pretty steady start to spring in terms of 2YO races and we are still waiting to see a first season sire post a winner, but there has been action aplenty at the trials which would indicate the pre-Christmas period is set to ignite.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 10
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Frankel Heads Juddmonte Euro Roster at £350,000
Fresh from siring outstanding young stayer Point of Law (GB) to win the $10m Group I VRC Melbourne Cup, champion sire Frankel will again top the roster at Banstead Manor Stud for Juddmonte.