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Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale - First Season Sire
Merchant Navy (2014)
Fastnet Rock - Legally Bay by Snippets
Standing at: Coolmore Stud, NSW
2018 Fee: $55,000 (inc GST)
2019 Fee: $55,000 (inc GST)
2020 Fee: $44,000 (inc GST)
Number of lots catalogued: 25
Dual Group 1 winner Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) retired to stand alongside his father Fastnet Rock (Danehill) at Coolmore Stud in 2018 the winner of seven of his ten starts and was introduced at a fee of $55,000 (inc GST) for his first season at stud.
Trained by Ciaron Maher, Merchant Navy was unbeaten in all three of his starts as a two-year-old, culminating in a victory in the Anzac Day Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington in April.
The colt kicked off his three-year-old career with a victory in the HDF McNeil Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), before producing a brilliant performance to land the stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as the Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m) two starts later, under the tutelage of Aaron Purcell, who was placed in charge of Maher’s stable during his six months on the sidelines.
After posting a brace of third place finishes in the Rubiton Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), Merchant Navy was transferred to Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle base in Ireland.
Merchant Navy landed his first start in Ireland when he took out the Greenlands Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) and produced an extraordinary performance to take out the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot on his final racecourse appearance.
Merchant Navy himself is a son of Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Legally Bay (Snippets) and she is also the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock) and Bayrock (Fastnet Rock), who in turn produced Listed scorer Hindaam (Savabeel).
Legally Bay is a half-sister to Myer Classic (registered as Empire Rose Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Bonaria (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 winner Time Out (Rory’s Jester), while she is also a half-sister to the dam of Group 3-winning pair Tessara (Medaglia d’Oro) and Montsegur (New Approach).
