Time Test’s next major target will be the Juddmonte International Stakes at York in mid-August after his impressive success at Royal Ascot last week. The question over which his trainer, Roger Charlton, continues to ponder concerns which race he might take in before then.
“There is a lack of suitable races in this country for those horses, so we’ll have to probably look at France or look at taking on the older horses,” Charlton said on Sunday. He is most tempted by the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on 12 July, though that would involve a step down in distance to a mile. Alternatives include the Prix Eugène Adam at Maisons-Laffitte the following week and the Skybet Stakes at York on 25 July.
“He showed a terrific high cruising speed and acceleration,” Charlton said on Racing UK. “I would consider dropping him back in distance. I think he’s classy enough to win at a mile.
“The time was exceptional. It was the fastest time of the week and nearly two seconds quicker than the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. It was close to The Fugue’s course record.
“If you believe Timeform ratings, he’s rated above Gleneagles and a pound below the Derby winner [Golden Horn] and I’ve every reason to think they’re right and we should take this horse very seriously.”
Dermot Weld, whose Free Eagle won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, said he was also considering the Juddmonte International for his horse, with the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as targets for later in the year. Weld’s Forgotten Rules, who was third in the Gold Cup, is expected to be seen next in a trial race for the Irish St Leger.
