Fastnet Rock’s Merchant Navy Wins the Greenlands On Euro Debut

[Wandering Eyes]

Aidan O’Brien had expected Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) to need his European introduction in Saturday’s G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands S. at The Curragh, but the G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner was classy enough to still come out on top of some serious opposition to suggest he will be a major player in the June 23 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. Held up as he was when a strong-finishing third to Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) in the G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington when last seen Mar. 10, the bay who traded at 9-2 was delivered to claim stablemate Spirit of Valor (War Front) with 200 yards remaining and assert for a length success, with Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) a possibly unlucky third, 1 1/4 lengths away.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
WEATHERBYS IRELAND GREENLANDS S.-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 5-26, 4yo/up, 6fT, 1:11.82, g/f.
1–MERCHANT NAVY (AUS), 132, c, 4, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
1st Dam: Legally Bay (Aus) (GSW & MG1SP-Aus, $430,193), by Snippets (Aus)
2nd Dam: Decidity (Aus), by Last Tycoon (Ire)
3rd Dam: Class (Aus), by Twig Moss (Fr)
(A$350,000 Ylg ’16 INGEAY). O-Merchant Navy Syndicate; B-C Barham (AUS); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €70,800. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Aus, 9-6-0-2, $806,512. *Full to Jolie Bay (Aus), GSW & G1SP-Aus, $242,860. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spirit of Valor, 129, c, 4, War Front–Stone Hope, by Grindstone. ($850,000 Wlg ’14 KEENOV). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Nursery Place (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien. €24,000.
3–Tasleet (GB), 129, h, 5, Showcasing (GB)–Bird Key (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). (£52,000 Ylg ’14 DNPRM). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-William Haggas. €12,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.50, 7.00, 2.00.
Also Ran: Brando (GB), Smash Williams (Ire), Ardhoomey (Ire), Intelligence Cross, G Force (Ire), Fas (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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