Merchant camp planning to stick to Goodwood route
'It's really exciting and as we know it's pretty stiff form,' said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.
MERCHANT becomes our 12th Royal Ascot winner!
The son of Teofilo storms home to win the King George V Stakes with Tom Marquand in the saddle for trainer William Haggas 🏆
Many congratulations to all of his owners 👏🏼#HighclereRacing #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/eZEaCD7OH7
— Highclere (@HighclereRacing) June 19, 2025
'I'm a great believer in you never say never and if you have the entry then you can consider all options, but I couldn't envisage him running in the King George unless Calandagan suddenly couldn't go and a couple more fell by the wayside.
'If you had Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner leading the betting, then that's something that might lead to another conversation but for right now the plan is to go to Goodwood.'
With King George thoughts on the back burner, Merchant's route is likely to be as previously outlined, with the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31 setting up a possible visit to York during the Ebor Festival.
Tom Marquand aboard Merchant after winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)
Herbert added: 'The plan is to go for the Gordon Stakes and play it one race at a time and if he happens to win there and depending on how he comes out of it, we'll probably then head to the Great Voltigeur (August 20) and take it from there.
'He's a high-class colt and like all these horses, it will all depend on how they develop on during the season and fingers crossed he's going to be a pretty important beast.'
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