Merchant Navy, the heir to Fastnet Rock, retires to Coolmore as a brilliant winner of the prestigious Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes 6f at Royal Ascot. In defeating a top-class field of 11 other international sprinters Merchant Navy proved his superiority for as a 3YO he was weighted well above his standing on 9st 3lb, the same weight carried by his older competitors.
Legendary Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien was full of praise for the 3YO son of Fastnet Rock as “we knew that he was meeting the field 12 pound wrong than he was in Australia, and it was a big worry for him. He was only a 3YO being treated as a 4YO.”
“Merchant Navy was travelling very well and we knew looking at him that Ryan Moore was very happy,” continued Aiden O’Brien, with winning champion jockey Ryan Moore stating “he’s a remarkable horse, as he hasn’t been up here long and is only a young horse, but he’s came and beat a high-class field.”
Merchant Navy had previously won the Gr2 Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh, his first start in Europe, in a slick time 1:11.82m for 6 furlongs. Again, Merchant Navy was the only 3YO in the field, carrying top weight of 9st 6lb, and giving weight to his older competitors.
Prior to departing to Europe, Merchant Navy as a 3YO in Australia defeated the top-line sprinters Invincible Star and Formality with a devastating finish in the sire-making Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes of 1200m. Earlier in the season he won the Gr2 HDF McNeil Stakes at 1200m.
Later That Season Merchant Navy showed his class with the barest-of-margins third to Redkirk Warrior and Brave Smash in the valuable Gr1 Newmarket Handicap 1200m, having also finished third in the Gr2 Rubiton Stakes of 1100m. As a 2YO he won all three starts including the listed Anzac Day Stakes of 1400m.
A bay standing 16.0hh, Merchant Navy’s sire Fastnet Rock has now sired 35 Group 1 winners and 137 stakes winners with earnings of over $151 million. In 2017-18 he sired 136 winners for over $15.5m in stakes including 18 Stakes winners with Shoals winning the Group 1 Myers Classic, Surround Stakes and Sangster Stakes, in addition to Merchant Navy.
Coolmore in liking Merchant Navy to ‘Snitzel in being a Group 1 winning sprinter by a son of Danehill, out of a stakes winner by Snippets,’ Merchant Navy is from the stakes winning Snippets mare Legally Bay, who was twice Group 1 placed. In addition, Merchant Navy is a full-brother to the Gr2 Roman Consul Stakes winner and Group 1 placed Jolie Bay, and stakes placed winner Zara Bay.
Also, at Coolmore Australia for the first time is Caravaggio, ‘Timeforms highest-rated juvenile colt of 2016 when unbeaten in his first six starts’ with wins in the Gr1 Phoenix Stakes 6f by 4 lengths, Gr2 Coventry Stakes 6f at Royal Ascot and listed Marble Hill Stakes 5f as a 2YO in winning all four starts.
As a 3YO Caravaggio won the Gr1 Commonwealth Stakes 6f at Royal Ascot in defeating Harry Angel and Blue Point, Gr2 Flying Five Stakes 5f and Gr3 Lacken Stakes 6f, with third in Gr1 British Championship Sprint and fourth in Gr1 July Cup. Caravaggio retired as Ireland’s Joint Champion 3YO Sprinter of 2017.
Champion Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien said of Caravaggio following his Phoenix Stakes victory – “in his last piece of work he hit a top speed of 45 mph – no horse in Ballydoyle has ever been able to do that.”
A grey at 15.3½hh, Caravaggio is by the deceased Florida Derby winner Scat Daddy, by Johannesburg, who in his brief career also sired Justify, the US 2018 Triple Crown winner, amongst his 100 stakes winners with earnings of over $90 million.
Caravaggio is half-brother to Gr2 Gallant Bloom Stakes winner My Jen, from the stakes winning mare Mekko Hokte, a daughter of Champion US Broodmare Sire in Hold Bull. Silver in Flight, his winning Gr2 placed third dam, is bred on a Nasrullah-Prinequillo cross.
Galileo’s most precocious son Churchill also visits Coolmore as the Champion 3YO European, British and Irish Miler of 2017 in winning the Gr1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and Gr1 Irish 2000 Guineas, both run over 1 mile. In addition, Churchill was rated the Leading 3YO Male on the 2017 WTR at a Mile.
Also, as a 3YO Churchill finished second in Gr1 International Stakes, third in Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and fourth in Gr1 James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
In being crowned Champion European, British and Irish 2YO Colt in 2016 Churchill won the Gr1 Dewhurst Stakes 7f, Gr1 National Stakes 7f, Gr2 Futurity Stakes 7f, Gr3 Tyros Stakes 7f and the listed Chesham Stakes 7f at Royal Ascot.
In being a son of legendry international sire-of-sires Galileo, with 71 Group 1 winners, Churchill joins the champion sire sons as Frankel, the twice European Horse of The Year, Highland Reel, the Champion Irish Older Horse, Minding, the European Horse of The Year, Cape Blanco, Champion US Turf Male and New Approach the European 2YO, 3YO Champion Colt.
Not only is Churchill a son of Galileo, but he has maintained his association with Galileo as he is a full-sister to Clemmie, the 2017 Champion European, British and Irish 2YO Filly. His stakes winning Storm Cat mare Meow the half-sister to the Galileo sired stakes winners Aloof and Orator, being from Airwave, the British Champion 2YO Filly and 3YO Sprinter.
By Bernard Kenny