The measure of success for any sire is found on the racetrack and when the allure of something new and exciting has faded and we’re left with cold hard facts the picture painted can bring a pleasant surprise.
When Royal Ascot hero and dual Group I winner Merchant Navy was relocated from the Hunter Valley to Kooringal Stud at Wagga prior to last spring the Lamont family were thrilled to take charge of a young stallion with serious credentials and 12 months on his results have done the talking.
Merchant Navy has finished the season just behind Hunter Valley heavyweights Russian Revolution and Hellbent on the Australian Third Crop Sires List by winners with his 71 winners from 138 starters coming at a seasonal strike rate 51.4% which is better than his higher priced peers.
He has also added a new stakes-winner to this tally this season with the Raheen Stud owned Cottee taking out the Listed Tattersalls Mile in Queensland, while over in New Zealand he’s been represented by quality Group III placed filly Merchant Queen.
By legendary sire Fastnet Rock, who has achieved a new honour this year in being crowned Champion Australian Broodmare Sire for the first time, Merchant Navy has a pedigree that also features two of the great speed influences in Australian breeding with his first two dams by Snippets and Last Tycoon (IRE).
Merchant Navy has already proven his stripes producing Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap winner Royal Merchant in his first crop and Group III winning filly Steel City in his second and a real feature of his progeny to emerge this year has been a group of very consistent four year-old metro class horses that have racked up multiple wins.
Horses like Naval Commission, Arqana, Cadetship, Tahnee Treasure, Subliminal and Navy Blood have all made their owners very happy.
Merchant Navy covered 43 mares at his new home last spring at a fee of $13,200 and remains at the same fee with Angus Lamont and his team looking forward to the arrival of his first foals conceived in their care.
The Leon and Troy Corstens trained Merchant Navy mare Subliminal made the trip from Melbourne to Wagga earlier this year for the Cup Carnival and won the $75,000 Queen of the South and it’s not hard to envisage many more locally bred and raced winners by Merchant Navy in years to come.
Merchant Navy stands alongside associate sires: Prized Icon (sire of dual Group I winner Tropical Squall), The Brothers War (USA), Finance Tycoon and Sandbar.
Footnote: Merchant Navy started the new season with a debut winner at Cranbourne on Thursday, the Greg Eurell trained three year-old Captain Link scoring as favourite.
