William Haggas is favouring an outing in the Qatar Prix Niel at Longchamp for Merchant as opposed to the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur at York on Wednesday week.
The Newmarket handler believes the Group Two test in France on September 7 will give the improving three-year-old more time to get over the exertions of his Group Three success in the HKJC World Pool Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last month.
However, Haggas has left the door ajar to switch the son of Teofilo, who landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot on his penultimate start, back to taking in an appearance on the Knavesmire should things change over the next few days.
Haggas said: "Unless Merchant makes giant strides this week, I am favouring giving him more time and running him in the Prix Niel over the Great Voltigeur.
"He is in good form, but I just think he is not quite ready and needs more time.
"The Prix Niel gives more time after Goodwood so that is the plan at the moment.
"I adore York, and I would love nothing more to win a Great Voltigeur, but I feel that France will fit better.
"If there are only four entries at York we might have a change of plan, but I think the extra time will do him good."
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Although Merchant has improved in leaps and bounds this season, Haggas admits he was unsure how far the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned colt was capable of progressing after opening his account on his final start at two at Wolverhampton in December.
He added: "I didn't know how far he would go as he only won by a short-head. I didn't know whether he would be doing as well as he has done.
"We set him up for the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, but I couldn't believe he got beaten first time out this season at the Craven Meeting at Newmarket, but that was my fault as we got a bit casual.
"We rectified it at York and then he won at Ascot which was good. We like to think, and hope, that he is better than his winning margin of a nose down at Goodwood given the testing conditions."
And while talk of a tilt at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, for which he is a general 33/1 chance, was mentioned following his latest success, Haggas is keen to take things one step at a time.
He added: "We will cross that bridge another time.
"At the moment he is going for the Niel and we will then worry about the Arc after that."
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