Moulin date for Excelebration
Marco Botti’s crack colt was third to Henry Cecil’s champion in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in his only attempt at a Group One so far and also finished second to him in the Greenham at the start of the season.
But either side of those two defeats he has shown he has the ability to win at the highest level. Successful in the German 2000 Guineas in May, he romped home by six lengths in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury earlier this month.
“We are really excited with the horse. He has come out of Newbury in good order and we’re looking forward to the next target,” said the Newmarket trainer. “We’ve won two Group Twos with him – the German Guineas and the Hungerford Stakes. I think he is more than capable of winning a Group One.
“We would like to avoid the likes of Frankel for his next target and then if we have to take him on at Ascot again (in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, we will give him another shot. “At the moment the plan is to run in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on September 11.”
