Merchant Navy

A son of the evergreen sire success Fastnet Rock, the female side of Merchant Navy’s pedigree also carries plenty of tried and true lines for broodmares to marry into.

Merchant Navy’s damsire Snippets, a champion broodmare sire, not only works particularly well with the Danehill line (which produced Merchant Navy) but also with the MR PROSPECTOR line.

MR PROSPECTOR line mares are also a favourite of Fastnet Rock, with seven of his Gr.1 winners carrying him from mares by or carrying HUSSONET, FUSAICHI PEGASUS (two), KINGMAMBO (two), LION CAVERN and EL MOXIE.Other sire descendants of Mr Prospector to use include STREET CRY, MACHIAVELLIAN, STRAIGHT STRIKE, UNBRIDLED'S SONG, GEIGER COUNTER, RHYTHM, E DUBAI, THUNDER GULCH, VETTORI, WOODMAN, FAPPIANO and DISTORTED HUMOR.

Snippets’ damsire Grand Chaudiere and Never Bend in Merchant Navy’s second damsire Last Tycoon are SUNSHOT family members. BOLD REASON (sire of SOUND REASON and damsire of SADLER’S WELLS and FAIRY KING), SHINKO FOREST, KING OF THE TUDORS, SOLFERINO, BROOKFIELD and WINDSOR LAD add to this line, while more NEVER BEND via his son RIVERMAN - sire of IRISH RIVER, LOUP SAUVAGE, CAPTAIN’S GOLD, RIVOTIOUS and grandsire of BRIEF TRUCE, EXIT TO NOWHERE etc – is also desirable.

Fastnet Rock has a terrific record with mares carrying members of the THONG family, particularly SADLER’S WELLS and his three-quarter brother, NUREYEV. At time of writing, Fastnet Rock has 35 Gr.1 winners, 18 of which carry one or both these two influences.

Sadler’s Wells appears in ten of the above 35 Gr.1 winners, with seven of those being through his son GALILEO, The other three are either via Sadler’s Wells daughters or his son, SCENIC. Other sources include HIGH CHAPARRAL, CARNEGIE, EL PRADO (and sons ARTIE SCHILLER, KITTEN’S JOY and MEDAGLIA D’ORO), MONTJEU (and son TAVISTOCK), KING OF KINGS, ENTREPRENEUR, KING’S THEATRE, IN THE WINGS, JOHANN QUATZ and BARATHEA. Sadler’s Wells’ brother FAIRY KING (sire of ENCOSTA DE LAGO) is also worth trying with Merchant Navy.

Nureyev is present in ten of Fastnet Rock’s Gr.1 winners, three via ZABEEL (to which Nureyev is damsire), while other sources are PEINTRE CELEBRE (twice), STRAVINSKY, POLAR FALCON, FASLIYEV and SOVIET STAR. SPINNING WORLD is another son to try.

Merchant Navy’s second damsire is Last Tycoon, another stalwart of the Australian breeding industry. Sons of LAST TYCOON can be utilised in matings with Merchant Navy to create a desirable sex balanced duplication. Daughters of his sons BIGSTONE, IGLESIA (and his son WRITTEN TYCOON), O’REILLY, KNOWLEDGE, MARJU and MONDE BLEU are examples.

Last Tycoon’s sire Try My Best and Nijinsky II in Fastnet Rock are from the TORPENHOW family and will appreciate the presence of other suitable family members MANHATTAN RAIN, SPINNING WORLD, GIELGUD, THE MINSTREL, HURRICANE SKY, FREE AMERICA, RULER, DENON, MASTERCLASS, NEW REGENT, EL GRAN SENOR and FAR NORTH in mares.

Merchant Navy carries several lines to MARCHETTA via Klairon (twice), Alycidon (twice), Turn-to and My Babu. More TURN- TO and MY BABU plus TESTA ROSSA, SAYANI, ACROPOLIS, AGRICOLA, AMBIORIX, IMPERIAL PRINCE, BLEVIC, IRISH RIVER, STUNNING, HOTFOOT, BUSTINO, GENERAL and PHARAMONDII would be desirable in a mare to boost this line for Merchant Navy.

Fastnet Rock’s damsire Royal Academy is a son of CRIMSON SAINT, who is also famous for her grandson, STORM CAT. Daughters of Storm Cat line sires such as HENNESSY (and son JOHANNESBURG) GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (and son SHAMARDAL), BLACK MINNALOUSHE and TALE OF THE CAT look great underneath Merchant Navy’s pedigree. Fastnet Rock’s progeny Irish Lights and Foxwedge are products of this cross, being out of mares by HENNESSY and FOREST WILDCAT respectively.

The dominant presence of Danehill and four lines to Northern Dancer in Merchant Navy suggest that fellow ALMAHMOUD family member HALO will suit. Fastnet Rock has already produced Gr1 winners Atlante (by MORE THAN READY) and Your Song (by FUJI KISEKI) by Halo line sires. Fuji Kiseki’s sire SUNDAY SILENCE plus DON’T SAY HALO, OREGON, SAINT BALLADO and DUBLEO also come to mind.

MACHIAVELLIAN is not only a carrier of the sought after Mr Prospector (see above), but he is also an ALMAHMOUD family member. He can be sourced through mares by STREET CRY (and sons STREET BOSS, STREET SENSE, SHOCKING and PER INCANTO), NO EXCUSE NEEDED, VETTORI and STORMING HOME.

Other ALMAHMOUD family members to suit are ORPEN, WAY OF LIGHT, ESPERERO, EXIT TO NOWHERE, CANNONADE, CATRAIL, EL MOXIE, YOUTHFUL LEGS, L’EMIGRANT and ARCTIC TERN.