Metal Merchant

The standout moment of his career so far came at Newbury on 20 April 2024, when he won the Spring Cup — one of the most prestigious mile handicaps of the spring season, a Class 2 race that attracts the best horses in the country at that distance. His trainer at the time, Jack Channon, described it as a very smart performance, and noted that Metal Merchant had been transformed by a surgical procedure over the previous winter. He had shown ability as a younger horse, but it was only after that point that he truly came into his own. A run at Royal Ascot in the Royal Hunt Cup — one of the most famous and competitive handicaps of the entire flat season — underlined that he belonged in the best company.

Brian Toomey now has the horse in his care, based at Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, and the yard has sent out 10 winners already this season, suggesting it is in good form. Metal Merchant raced just one day ago, so he is very much an active horse. He has not won in his last six races, and his most recent form figures — 13-20-12-10-9-4 — show a horse who has been running respectably without finding the winner's enclosure. A fourth-place finish is his best recent effort.

On normal ground, he is a different proposition entirely. In 8 races on standard conditions he has won 2 of them — a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4 — which is considerably better than his overall figures suggest. That selectivity matters: when conditions suit him, he becomes a serious contender. His regular jockey David Probert has ridden him in 9 races together, winning once, though their partnership is still developing. With Toomey reportedly eyeing another crack at Newbury's Spring Cup, the race where Metal Merchant made his name, there is a clear and sensible plan for a horse who clearly has one more big day in him.