Malotru likely to skip Royal Ascot with Marco Botti eyeing Group 1 success in France with stable star
MALOTRU is likely to sidestep Royal Ascot with his trainer eyeing the riches of France instead.
The Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville could be his next target with Marco Botti still hopeful his horse has what it takes to reach the top.
He was a desperate second in the Pavilion Stakes at Newcastle last week and his trainer had been tempted by the Royal Meeting, with the Commonwealth Cup and Jersey Stakes both options.
But the seven furlong Group 1 at Deauville – won by Too Darn Hot last season – is the race Botti has in mind for his exciting three-year-old.
The Newmarket handler told Sun Racing: “He was a bit unlucky at Newcastle, but it was a good race for him and unfortunately the gap wasn’t there for him at the right time when we hit the switch.
“He finished strongly which as we’ve always said shows seven furlongs would be his optimum trip.
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“We still have to make the final call with the owners, but at this stage I don’t think we’ll be heading to Royal Ascot. I think the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in July, a Group 1 over seven furlongs.”
With the hectic fixture list continuing to come thick and fast, Botti thinks giving his horse a bit more time may prove beneficial with a possible tilt at some big races in America an option if all goes well between now and the end of the campaign.
Botti added: “The Commonwealth Cup, with horses rated 115, might just be too sharp for him.
“The Jersey would be the more obvious race but at the same time we think it might just be best to wait a bit longer and give him some more time. Then towards the end of the year he’s the kind of horse that might go to America and have a crack there.”
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“He’s got a turn of foot and wants top of the ground, we wouldn’t go to France if it came up really soft. So we hope in the middle of July that would be the case.
“Last year he showed in the Gimcrack where he was unlucky again and the Mill Reef didn’t go to plan.
“He came back this year and won that Listed race cosily. He’s a nice horse, he’s versatile and still unexposed so we hope there is a really bright future for him.”