It’s been a decent seven days for Western Bulldogs midfielder Lachie Hunter after a horse he has a share in saluted at Royal Ascot last week.

Hunter has a small stake in the former Victoria sprinter Merchant Navy who was first past the post at the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes last Saturday.   Royal Ascot is one of the leading racecourses in the UK and hosts 13 of Britain’s 36 annual Group 1 races.

“I’m still celebrating that win,“ he told Triple M on the weekend. “I have a little 1%, so I set the alarm and cheered it home.”

The Bulldogs connections in Merchant Navy’s ownership group run deep with teammate Tory Dickson and Lachie’s dad, 130-game former defender Mark, part of the consortium.   

“Tory Dickson, my old man, Greg Swann’s in it, he’s got one percent.  There’s a couple of people in it.”

Merchant Navy is the fourth Australian-bred horse to win the Diamond Jubilee along with Choisir (2003), Starspangledbanner (2010) and Black Caviar (2012).

The multiple Group One winner has since retired and will take up stud duties at Coolmore Australia in the spring.