Merchant looking to bank another big race for Highclere

South Wales Guardian

30-07-2025

Always held in high-regard by trainer William Haggas, the Highclere Thoroughbreds-owned three-year-old excelled when landing the King George V Stakes and after connections resisted the temptation of an Ascot return and a daring King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes tilt, now climbs the ladder into Group Three company on the Sussex Downs.
'The Gordon was always the plan and the next logical step for him and a horse of his profile,' said Highclere's Harry Herbert.
MERCHANT takes the King George V Stakes for @TomMarquand and trainer @WilliamHaggas. Congratulations to connections. pic.twitter.com/5CcXFLkYB5
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 19, 2025
'He comes into it – according to William – in really good form and he's been working well at home.
'It's one step at a time with him and we will see how he gets on but we would be very hopeful of a big show as he's a fast-improving horse and one we think the world of.'
The last four winners of this have gone on to contest the St Leger and although his team are refusing to rule out a Classic tilt, it could be an audacious trip to Paris that comes calling in the autumn if Merchant continues his rapid progression through the ranks.
Herbert added: 'The St Leger is certainly possible it's just whether we want to go the mile and six route or whether we stick to a mile and a half.
'It will all depend on how he progresses and if he happens to win the Gordon Stakes we would then all being well head to the Great Voltigeur (at York, August 20) and if he happened to win that then the conversation would be do you go for the St Leger or have a crack at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
'I think it's wide open at this stage and of course there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge still. But William and I have been discussing it for a while and I'm not certain the St Leger would be the right move for this horse, although I hate to say that now when we're nowhere near that point.
'Hopefully all goes well at Goodwood and once that is out of the way we can go from there.'
Eve Johnson Houghton has already made her mark in the juvenile Group races this week and will bid for Super Sprint compensation with Havana Hurricane in the Markel Richmond Stakes.
The Royal Ascot winner narrowly missed out on a huge bounty when beaten a short head at Newbury but now returns to six furlongs, the distance over which he went down fighting to Charlie Appleby's reopposing Maximized in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom.
'It would be exciting to make it a Group Two double for the week,' said Johnson Houghton.
'He's in great form, he's done nothing wrong and I think six furlongs will really suit him now we know to hold on to him for a bit longer.
'We obviously kicked too soon at Epsom, but we learned from it.'
Clive Cox has bided his time since with Coppull since finishing third in the Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting but with the form looking smart, is hopeful he can show the required progress in a race the Lambourn handler has won with Golden Horde (2019) and Supremacy (2020).
'I was really pleased with his effort in the Coventry and I just wanted to give him a little bit of time as he's still developing,' said Cox.
'He's done nothing but please so far and this is another big step, but we really like him.
'It's nice to be heading to these races with horses in form.'
Disappointing in the Coventry was Archie Watson's Underwriter, but after being returned to Ayr for a confidence-boosting win since, attempts to go one better than owners Wathnan Racing's The Strikin Viking who was touched off in this race 12 months ago.
'We took him back up to Ayr and he was impressive there on debut and again the other day, he just had a complete blip for whatever reason at Royal Ascot,' said Wathnan's Richard Brown.
'We couldn't find any reason for the poor performance at Ascot so we went back up to Ayr with a penalty and he showed us what he could do.
'It's a step up in class, but we'll find out where we're at.'