IT is little wonder that Fastnet Rock's young gun Merchant Navy proved the most popular first crop sire when serving 247 mares last season.
He has looks, temperament, pedigree and race record, and is set to take the mantle of his sire at his home base of Coolmore Stud, Jerry Plains.
Like three times champion sire Snitzel, Merchant Navy is a Group 1 winning sprinter by a son of the great Danehill, and produced out of a stakes winning mare (Legally Bay) who is by renowned broodmare sire Snippets.
In fact, Merchant Navy won seven of his 10 starts including a Group 1 race in each hemisphere, his northern pinnacle being the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Some mares expecting his foals include dual Group 1 winner Platelet, as well as stakes winners Bacchanal Woman, Consommateur, Onemorezeta, Red Typhoon, Volcada and Soubrettes.
Two other Coolmore Stud sires are expecting their first foals this season - shuttle sire Churchill, and eye-catching grey Caravaggio.
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While unable to return this spring the US bred Scat Daddy sire Caravaggio served 143 mares at his first Australian season last year among them Melbourne stakes winner Deja Blue.
A precocious son of iconic Galileo, Churchill was a dual Group 1 winning sprinting juvenile in England and Ireland, and went on to win another pair of Group 1 races over one mile as a three-year-old, again in each country.
Among mares expecting his foals includes Group 1 winner Secret Admirer.
