I Can Fly (by Fastnet Rock) gave her future paddocks value another boost when she swept past Kenya to take the Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes over a mile at Leopardstown last month. This was only her third win from nine starts, but it added to a prior listed success over the same trip at Killarney.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained three-year-old, who was third to Altyn Orda in the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on the latter of two runs at two, is a daughter of one of the world's leading reverse-shuttle stallions and she comes from a branch of one of the most famous families in the stud book.

Her half-brother Viscount Barfield (by Raven's Pass) – who is also bred by Rockwell Bloodstock – won the Listed City Plate Stakes over seven furlongs at Chester last year before finishing third to Dutch Connection in the Group 3 Supreme Stakes at Goodwood, and he was a one-length runner-up to Hakam in the Group 3 Polar Cup at Ovrevoll, in Norway, in late August – also over seven.

Their dam, Madonna Dell'Orto (by Montjeu), was placed over eight and 10 furlongs in England and she has two brothers of note.

Ikhtyar (by Unfuwain) was a six-length winner of a 10-furlong listed contest at Sandown, he was only beaten a neck when runner-up to Bandari in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, and he had Sulamani just behind when finishing third to Rakti and Powerscourt in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Landseer (by Danehill) was even better. He won the Group 3 Coventry Stakes at two – when also he was short-headed by Rock Of Gibraltar in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and a half-length runner-up to Act One in the Group 1 Criterium International – and he went on to take both the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and Grade 1 Shadwell Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes at three.

With these performances to his name, plus a second-place finish to old rival Rock Of Gibraltar in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes and fourth to Continent in the Group 1 July Cup over six furlongs, there was every reason to hope that he would make a good stallion, but sadly he sustained a fatal injury in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Sabria (by Miswaki), the grandam of I Can Fly, was an unraced daughter of Flood (by Riverman), who was a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up Sabona (by Exclusive Native) and out of Hail Maggie (by Hail To Reason), an unraced full-sister to Trillion and half-sister to Doff The Derby (by Master Derby).

Trillion's wins included the Group 1 Prix Ganay, Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt, and two editions of the Group 2 Prix Dollar, her star daughter Triptych (by Riverman) was a prolific Group 1 star and international traveller dubbed 'The Iron Lady', and Trillion's descendants feature the brilliant dual Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (by Motivator).

Triptych, who beat the colts in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in 1985, notched up a career tally of 14 wins that also included the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, Group 1 Prix Ganay, Group 1 International Stakes at York, two Group 1 Coronation Cups, and two editions of the Group 1 Champion Stakes, and she achieved a top end-of-year Timeform rating of 133 – 1lb below Treve's best mark. She was in foal to Mr Prospector (by Raise a Native) when fatally injured in a freak paddock accident in her first season at stud.

Doff The Derby, of course, is the unraced dam of Timeform 139-rated Group 1 Derby, Group 1 Irish Derby and Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes hero Generous (by Caerleon), and of Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas ace Imagine (by Sadler's Wells), plus classic-placed dual stakes winner Strawberry Roan (by Sadler's Wells) and Group 1-placed dual pattern scorer Wedding Bouquet (by Kings Lake).

Her descendants, therefore, include ill-fated Group 1 juvenile winner Horatio Nelson (by Danehill), and the Timeform 129-rated Moonlight Cloud (by Invincible Spirit), who won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret, Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and three editions of the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

There are many more good horses to be found in the various branches of this family, and everything about her racing and pedigree profile suggests that I Can Fly has a considerable amount of potential for a notable second career as a broodmare.

​She is due to run in tomorrow's Group 1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket, and it catches the eye that, in addition to an entry in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in two weeks' time, she has also been put into the six-furlong Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes that same day.

Merchant Navy (by Fastnet Rock) was a listed and Group 3 scorer for trainer Ciaron Maher, switched to Aaron Purcell, and then got up on the line to take the six-furlong Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in November.

He was only beaten by half a length when Group 2-placed on his next start, then by a neck when third to Redkirk Warrior in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap in March, over the course and distance of his major win. With a stallion berth at Coolmore Australia already secured, he had one more mission to complete.

For that he travelled to Europe and joined the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien stable. Winning the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot was that target, but first he had a warm-up in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh.

There was a possible hitch due to the weight he would have to carry in both races. When racing in the northern hemisphere he is counted as being a four-year-old as he was born before 1st January 2015. His actual date of birth is 14th November 2014, making him a late-season three-year-old in his native land, but not entitled to that weight allowance when running here. So, in effect, he was carrying penalties in both his European starts, which makes his performances more meritorious.

Calculating that based on what a three-year-old receives from an older horse at this time of the year is perhaps not the accurate way to do it as, again, he did it as a late-season three-year-old, just shy of being classed as a four-year-old in his home territory.

It was close, very close, and also quite fortunate given how the race went for the runner-up, but Merchant Navy held on by a short-head to take the Ascot feature from the French colt City Light, with American challenger Bound For Nowhere third and English runner The Tin Man fourth. Mission accomplished.

There was some brief speculation about whether or not he would remain a bit longer, to take up his entry in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, but that soon ended. Merchant Navy is in quarantine for a return trip to Australia.

His performance at the Curragh was an outstanding one. The race is for older horses and, rather than receive a weight allowance for being three, he not only met his rivals on their terms but had to give them 3lbs on top because of his Group 1 success in Australia.

Despite all of this, he beat Spirit Of Valor by a length, with Tasleet another length and a quarter back in third and an additional neck back to Brando in fourth.

So, Merchant Navy returns home with two notable European wins to his name, plus a Timeform rating of 126 and a profile that will make him an attractive prospect for breeders should he return in the spring as a reverse-shuttle stallion.

He was bred by Chris Barnham, and although there as aspects of the distaff side of his family that won't be familiar to many here, his sire needs no introduction.

Fastnet Rock (by Danehill) is one of the most successful of all the reverse-shuttle stallions and his global tally of 137 stakes winners includes 35 who have won at the highest level, including the European-trained Group 1 stars Diamondsandrubies, Fascinating Rock, Intricately, Laganore, Qualify, Rivet, and Zhukova.

All but two of that list are fillies, Fascinating Rock is a member of the stallion team at Ballylinch Stud, and this male line got another advertisement at the Curragh this afternoon when Urban Fox, a daughter of Australian Group 1 scorer Foxwedge (by Fastnet Rock) – who reverse-shuttled to Whitsbury Manor Stud for four seasons – sprang a surprise in the Group 1 Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes.

Merchant Navy is out of the Group 1-placed, Group 3-winning sprinter Legally Bay (by Snippets) and that makes him a full-brother to Jolie Bay. Also bred by Barnham, she was a short-head winner of the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes over six furlongs at Randwick a month before chasing home Nechita in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes over the same trip at Flemington.

Their dam is among a string of winners produced from the seven-furlong and mile scorer Decidity (by Last Tycoon) and those siblings include three of note. The prolific Bonaria (by Redoute's Choice) won the Group 1 VRC Myer Classic over a mile, Time Out (by Rory's Jester) was a six-furlong Group 3 scorer as a juvenile, and four-time sprint winner Chatoyant (by Flying Spur) made her name at stud.

​That mare's best are by stallions who are very familiar to those in this part of the world. Smart two-year-old Montsegur (by New Approach) won a five-and-a-half-furlong Group 3 at Caulfield and one over six furlongs at Flemington, whereas Tessera (by Medaglia d'Oro), who was stakes-placed at seven, got his best win in a five-and-a-half-furlong juvenile Group 3 contest at Rosehill.

Decidity was out of Class (by Twig Moss), which made her a half-sister to nine-furlong Group 2 scorer Classy Fella (by Kenmare) and what could be described as being a three-parts sister to 12-furlong Group 3 winner Vestey (by Last Tycoon).

It is not impossible that some of the talented future offspring of Merchant Navy will also stay that distance, although it seems likely – given his racing profile and the achievements of those most closely related to him – that he will mostly get sprinters and milers, along with some who will be effective at 10 furlongs.

A potential sprint star emerged in France recently when the Pia Brandt-trained three-year-old Fas came home and impressive three and a half-length winner of the Group 3 Prix Sigy over six furlongs on good ground at Chantilly.

Bred by his part-owner Zalim Bifov, and a half-length listed scorer over the same course and distance, but on soft ground, on his seasonal reappearance a few weeks before that fine effort, the colt showed useful form at two.

He beat Dolokhov by two lengths on his debut at Deauville in August, was third to Dame Du Roi in a listed contest at Maisons-Laffitte the following month, and then took third and fourth respectively in pattern events that were won by Sans Equivoque.

The first was the Group 3 Prix Eclipse in which he finished only half a length behind that filly, in third place, and then the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte where he was a two and a half length fourth.

Fas is a son of the Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock (by Danehill) whose handful of shuttle-seasons at Coolmore have thus far yielded the European Group 1 stars Qualify, Diamondsandrubies, Fascinating Rock, and potential 2017 classic contenders Intricately and Rivet. His many talented northern hemisphere runners also include the recent Group 3 Gladness Stakes heroine Diamond Fields.

Sotka (by Dutch Art), the dam of Fas, was a listed-placed winner at two in France and, in addition to being a half-sister to Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes runner-up and 15-time scorer Cornus (by Inchinor), she is a half-sister to a recently retired sprint champion who was among the most popular Irish-trained flat horses of recent years.

The Eddie Lynam-trained multimillionaire Sole Power (by Kyllachy) notched-up 12 wins in a 65-race career from two to 10 years of age, with the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint and two editions of both the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and Group 1 King's Stand Stakes highlights on his resume.

His dam, Demerger (by Distant View), is an unraced half-sister to five winners, including Como (by Cozzene), the dam of Listed Marble Hill Stakes winner Pencil Hill (by Acclamation), and his grandam is a dual winning half-sister to three horses of note.

That mare is Merida (by Warning), she is the third dam of Fas, and the best of her talented trio is Tychonic (by Last Tycoon). The top performances among his 13 wins came in the Grade 2 Arcadia Handicap and Grade 2 El Rincon Handicap, both at Santa Anita.

She was also the dam of Group 2 William Hill Sprint Championship (previously and now the Nunthorpe Stakes) runner-up Fine Edge (by Sharpen Up) and of Meteoric (by High Line), the Group 3 Waterford Candelabra Stakes (now Prestige Stakes) runner-up whose descendants include the Group 1-placed juvenile Group 2 scorer Auction House (by Exbourne).

There is no doubt that Fas is bred to achieve anything, and if he fulfils the potential suggested by his eye-catching Group 3 success then he is likely to be a major contender for all of the top six-furlong races of the year, starting with the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June.