Late trophy decision on Tacitus
A decision on Tacitus’ participation in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster will be left until the last minute, according to connections.
Tim Jones, for the owners Royal Ascot Racing Club, revealed the news today after the son of Titus Livius finished fourth in the Group One Gran Criterium in Milan yesterday.
Tacitus could be considered an unlucky loser in the mile juvenile event as he was badly hampered when three horses fell in front of him in the Italian race.
Jones said: “He got into every bit of trouble going yesterday. He did us proud to meet all that trouble in running but then still put himself into a challenging position.
“I thought it was great performance, just sadly not quite good enough.
“It was a very good second and who’s to say he would not have given the winner something to think about with a clear run.
“What he did prove was that he stays a mile, especially as he had all that trouble in running.”
Before yesterday, the Richard Hannon-trained colt had been off the track since finishing a good runner up to Mister Links in the July Stakes at Newmarket back in July.
He was one of 15 horses left in Saturday’s Doncaster race at the five-day stage.
Although Jones has not ruled Tacitus out of the £200,000 event, he insists the horse’s health will be top priority.
“We’ve left him in the Racing Post Trophy just to see how he comes out of the race. We will have a very close look at him before making a decision. He flew to Italy and back again so hopefully the journey didn’t take too much out of him, but he’s back in one piece,” Jones explained.
“The conditions at Doncaster would suit him but the well being of the horse is forefront in our minds and it would be a lot to ask of him to run at that level again so soon.”
Tacitus prefers a bit of cut in the ground and the wet and windy spell that has hit the country in the last day has seen a fair bit of rain fall on the south Yorkshire track and the going is described as Good to Soft.
Track manager Malcolm Taylor said: “We’re really at the good to soft stage now. We’ve had 18mm from teatime yesterday to this morning and it’s absolutely pouring it down now.
“The forecast is awful. Between now and Friday we’ve been told to expect up to two inches of rain, of course, we might not get that much but we are looking at good to soft ground at the moment.”
Should Tacitus run, he could face up to eight Aidan O’Brien-trained colts.
The Ballydoyle maestro’s entries are headed by Hold That Tiger, winner of the Group One Grand Criterium last time but who is expected to run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the weekend.
O’Brien also has Brian Boru, Chevalier, Delacroix, France, Powerscourt, Some Kind Of Tiger and The Great Gatsby among the list.
Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Bahamian Dancer is a possible runner from Jeremy Noseda’s yard, while Brian Meehan could run Balin’s Sword.
The field is completed by Sir Michael Stoute’s Illustrator, the John Gosden-trained Summerland, David Elsworth’s Norse Dancer and Inch Again from the Mark Tompkins yard.
