Arrow lands Mercury for Watson and Doyle The Bar One Mercury Stakes went for export again as Spartan Arrow landed the Group 3 prize for Archie Watson. Hollie Doyle drove the Sioux Nation gelding to the front over a furlong from home and despite running around a touch in the closing stages he stayed on powerfully. Fellow raider West Acre kept on well late on but the 5/2 favourite could only get within three-parts-of-a-length of the 6/1 winner. Spartan Arrow was recording his fourth win of the year and had also landed a Listed race at Chantilly back in June.  Doyle said: "It is not too bad (a Group 1 and a Group 3 are her winners in Ireland), I can't complain! "It was a great performance by this horse, he has been knocking on the door and he has had a few kind of hard-luck stories. "I think it has come quite easy to him today being on the artificial surface. "He ran in the Nunthorpe and he went to Goodwood, and he ran in Group 2 in Longchamp. All were on the wrong ground really. He ran on good ground in handicap company, but I think he just struggled at a higher level. "They can get a bit complacent when things are just going the same really. A change of scenery, and just kind of fill them up a bit, and go again. "That (Eclairage) gave me a nice tow and I was quite wary of it hanging right, but I had to kind of commit when I did which was early enough. He just does as much as he has to really." On heading to Hong Kong, she added: “I fly out next Sunday, so I have another week or so left to ride in England. "New venture, I'm looking forward to it. Quite daunting really, but I like a challenge. Quite a bit of hardship doesn't do me any harm and it would be nice to have a winner or two. "I'm supposed to be coming back before Christmas, but we'll see how it goes." (Quotes by Michael Graham)
