Ascot

"He gave Merchant 8lb and was beaten only two and a half lengths in a handicap last May, and I think he was the best horse in the Queen's Vase on his next start. He was green and a thug beforehand - he just didn't behave or run like a professional, but was still beaten only a length. He looked like winning the St Leger in the final furlong on his last start, but he couldn't quite get past Scandinavia. That was a very good run and I think staying is his game. You'd have to dream that he'd be a Gold Cup horse with a run or two before. He might start in the Sagaro at Ascot, but it's not completely set in stone. He's a likeable thug and is looking super. 01-04-26"

"We were quite hopeful of a good run from him in the Leger. I know it's easy in hindsight, but I think people are very short-sighted when they're looking at a horse's chance. A lot of people don't go back past their last run. Even looking at the handicap at York in May, he gave Merchant 8lb and got beaten two and a half lengths. Merchant has since won the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot and the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Even at the weights that was a good effort, and then in the Queen's Vase at Ascot it was a hell of a run. He did a lot wrong that day but was beaten only a length by Paddy Twomey's Carmers, who was 4-1 for the St Leger. I was pretty confident we had him in good shape for the Leger and we were vindicated by keeping the faith in him. There might have been only seven runners but the winner was admirable and I think it was a strong Leger, with the Derby winner in fourth. He arguably delivered a Group 1 performance when runner-up, without quite winning the prize, and it gives us a taste for what is maybe to come next year. We'll be unlikely to see him again this season. His season started early as his first run was in early March. He's had a very long year, although he's had only two races since Royal Ascot. He's all about next year now. I think he's going to be more of a Cup horse than a middle-distance horse and it'll be exciting to have him in the team - it's always nice to have a strong stayer. We hope he might be a horse to have around for another couple of years. The programme for Cup horses is interesting before Ascot, but after Ascot there's a lovely run of staying races, so we have a lot to look forward to with him. 24-09-25"

"I stood in the paddock after the Chester Vase last season and said this horse will win the St Leger. Nothing that happened in the interim dented that confidence, so it was very disappointing to run out of road at the most crucial time. He had surgery on his knee in September and was out of action until Christmas, but he came back into work in the first week in January and he's been back cantering since the middle of February. If everything goes perfectly he could be ready in time for the Ormonde Stakes, which should give us a good idea whether we should be campaigning him in Cup races or races like the Coronation Cup and King George. Ideally, he'll run with some cut in the ground, and something like the Irish St Leger looks tailor-made for him later in the year. 21-04-26"