In 2018, Australian hopes for victory at Royal Ascot were carried by outstanding colt Merchant Navy and the son of Fastnet Rock delivered the goods with a tough and tenacious effort to win the Group I Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6f) and five years on he holds a spot in the Top Five second crop sires by earnings and winners.
A stakes-winner at two and winner of the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes at three, Merchant Navy campaigned in Europe under the care of Aidan O’Brien and returned to stand at Coolmore, but now calls Kooringal Stud at Wagga home with his fee set for this spring at $13,200.
“I’m on the Hume Highway right now in our truck bringing him home to Kooringal from Coolmore,” said Angus Lamont, who is more than a little excited to have a bona fide Royal Ascot legend on board.
“We are looking forward to getting him home and settled in. We’ve had good interest in him from breeders including some from Victoria and South Australia and we’ve also had a breeder from Queensland looking to send the grand-dam of Royal Merchant to him.
“It will be great to be able to show him to local breeders now we have him on the farm, so if he settles in well over the weekend we should have him available for inspection next week.”
There is no denying Merchant Navy did not produce the fast start at stud demanded of elite commercial stallions, but as we move to the end of this season his results are looking decidedly more rosy and as his progeny turn four maturity may well bring out their best.
He is the third leading first crop sire by winners with 29 to his credit and the best of them is quality three year-old filly Royal Merchant, winner of the $500,000 Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap (1200m) against the older sprinters following a G2 win at her previous start.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained filly is far from a one hit wonder with four wins and four placings from 13 starts and prizemoney topping $580,000 suggesting she will have a long and fruitful career.
Merchant Navy is one of four second crop sires to produce an Australian G1 winner this season joining Russian Revolution (Communist), Almanzor (Fr) (Manzoice) and Invader (Sunshine in Paris).
He is also one of only three second crop sires to produce a Group winning Australian juvenile this season with his flying filly Steel City taking out the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes in dazzling fashion to earn a start in the Golden Slipper, where a bad gate negated her chances.
The other two second crop sires with Group winning juveniles are Russian Revolution (Red Resistance, Libertad, Russian Alliance)) and Hellbent (Kristilli), who will both cover full books at major Hunter Valley farms this spring.
Merchant Navy might have taken a while to hit his straps as a sire, but when he gets a good one it’s pretty good!
“Steel City might be outstanding, she had absolutely no luck in the Blue Diamond and was a tragedy beaten,” said Angus Lamont.
“If things had gone differently for her that day, Ciaron Maher felt she could easily have won and Merchant Navy would be in the position of having sired a G1 winner in his first two crops.
“She’s one I can’t wait to see come back bigger and stronger at three, just a lovely filly with so much ability.
“Hopefully some exciting times ahead.”
Merchant Navy had seven yearlings average $125,000 at Magic Millions this year with his top seller a filly from Aneesa that made $260,000 for Kenmore Lodge when bought by Emirates Park and he has over 70 weanlings to follow.
This Royal Ascot hero has much to offer for a savvy breeder chasing top class Australian speed bloodlines on a budget.
