Bendigo businessman Ted Aldridge has owned race horses for decades.

The slow ones have outweighed the fast ones, but he’s enjoyed success with Grand Dreamer in last year’s Ballarat Cup, the Shane Fliedner-trained Classiconi, who won at stakes level at Flemington, and Bendigo Cup placegetters Hoodlum and Never Dull.

Aldridge’s patience and persistence has paid off and he’s currently enjoying the horse racing dream of a lifetime with outstanding sprinter Merchant Navy.

Aldridge will head to England later this month to watch Merchant Navy run at Royal Ascot in the Group One Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

“It’s exciting to have a runner at Royal Ascot... but it’s all about the horse,’’ Aldridge said this week.

“He’s a great horse. We’ve had a lot of fun with him.”

Aldridge got involved in a syndicate to buy a share in Merchant Navy through his good friend and leading racing form analyst Mark Hunter.

“The horse ownership was sold to studs and there was one share that was to be taken up by another guy,’’ Aldridge said.

“He’d already taken up a commitment to take a share in another horse, so that left a share in Merchant Navy.

“Rhys Murphy is a friend of ours and he’d just started with (trainer) Ciaron Maher as his racing manager. Rhys contacted Mark Hunter and told him the share was available and that he thought the horse went well.

“Mark organised a few of us to get together and buy the last share in the horse.

“It’s turned out to be the best racing decision I’ve made.”

Whatever Merchant Navy does in England is a bonus for Aldridge.

The speed machine has already provided him with his greatest thrill in racing when he won the Group One Coolmore Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

“Winning a Group One race on the best day of Australian racing was a big thrill,’’ Aldridge said.

“The fact we backed him as well helped. It’s been a dream, really.”

In Australia, Merchant Navy had eight starts for five wins, two thirds and just shy of $1,000,000 in prize money.

The son of Fastnet Rock has thrived since arriving in Europe and last weekend he scored a brilliant win at Group Two level in Ireland.

One of his rivals in the Diamond Jubilee will be fellow Aussie sprinter Redkirk Warrior.

“The Aussies look to have it over the English sprinters,’’ Aldridge said.

“Redkirk Warrior has won two Newmarkets, so it’s a good horse. It should be a great race.”