Curragh comeback for Puzzle
The seven-year-old has not run since his famous victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup, but has been pencilled in for the Group Two Royal Whip over what will possibly be an inadequate 10 furlongs on Sunday.
“He’s in super order, although he will probably need the run because he has been off the track for so long and it is also over a mile and two furlongs,” said trainer Dermot Weld.
“But he starts his comeback with the objective of the Melbourne Cup again, if he gets a reasonable weight and a fair shot.
“We’ll see how he progresses in the coming months, but the Melbourne Cup is his target.”
Meanwhile, Antonius Pius, who has twice suffered misfortune at Longchamp this season, may return to the French track on September 5 to contest the Netjets Prix Du Moulin.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was disqualified from a Group Three contest there in April and then jinked right, throwing away an almost certain victory, in the Gainsborough Poule d’Essai des Poulains the following month.
The three-year-old son of Danzig has since been unsuccessful in the St James’s Palace Stakes (third) and the Darley July Cup (seventh).
He was last seen finishing fifth in the Cantor Odds Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and his handler said of that run: “I thought he ran a very good race but things didn’t happen for him.
Confirming that he may go for the French Group One over a mile, he added: “He will probably have a little rest and then possibly be trained for the Moulin.”
