Weight, age discrepancy not enough to deny Diamond Jubilee success Navy wins against odds

AIDAN O’Brien thought it was Mission Impossible for Merchant Navy.

Far from failing, the former Victorian sprinter proved the Irish training wizard wrong – and delivered his biggest win at Royal Ascot this year with victory in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Three by Australian standards but regarded as a four- year- old in England, Merchant Navy was 5.5kg worse off because of the discrepancy – a factor O’Brien feared would be decisive.

“Merchant Navy made lovely progress from ( winning at Group 2 level at) the Curragh to here, but we thought that it was an impossible task for him,” O’Brien admitted.

“We knew that he was meeting the field 12 pound ( 5.5kg) worse than he was in Australia and worry for him.

“He was only a three- yearold being treated as a fouryear- old.”

Apart from the weight differential, Merchant Navy has struggled to fully acclimatise to the northern hemisphere after being transferred from Aaron Purcell’s care.

“When he ran at the Curragh, his coat didn’t know whether he was going into the it was a big winter or coming into the summer,” O’Brien said.

“So he had a lot of readjusting to do. Some horses adjust and they have that healthy constitution and some don’t – he obviously has.

“He has a great mind – he sleeps, eats and is a very straightforward horse.”

Merchant Navy is the fourth Australian- bred horse to land the Diamond Jubilee along with Choisir ( 2003), Starspangledbanner and Black Caviar ( 2012).

O’Brien also trained Starspangledbanner, who began his career in Melbourne with Leon Corstens.

Formerly stabled with Ciaron Maher and then Purcell, Merchant Navy won the sprint feature by a head from France’s City Lights and American Bound For Nowhere in an international clean sweep. ( 2010)

A jubilant Maher was in the parade ring post- race, telling a small army of Australian owners still involved with Merchant Navy: “It doesn’t get any bigger than this.”

Several members of the Australian syndicate stood on the podium as the Queen presented trophies.

“We’re over the moon, really, we’re delighted with him,” O’Brien said, revealing briefings from Maher were critical.