Beckett keeping Princess on hold

Ralph Beckett has decided to miss both the Prix de Diane and the Coronation Stakes with his crack filly Penkenna Princess.

The Lambourn trainer today took his Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up out of Sunday’s French Oaks at Chantilly because of the presence of Divine Proportions, the brilliant unbeaten winner of the French 1000 Guineas.

And fears of fast ground mean he will not risk the filly at Royal Ascot at York next week as she disappointed on firm going in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

“I took her out of the Prix Diane this morning, discretion being the better part of valour,” Beckett told At The Races.

“We made a decision a while ago that if Divine Proportions did run then we wouldn’t go, on the basis that she looks like a superstar and I think we’d struggle to beat her.

“After going so close in Ireland I didn’t want to give her another hard race where I didn’t think she could win.

“She’s in the Coronation Stakes, but I don’t think the ground is going to be good enough for her. Given the forecast, I think York will dry out too quickly for her and I think we are going to have to duck it.

“I swore after Newmarket that I wouldn’t run her on ground faster than good again.”

He went on: “There are all sorts of races for her. There’s the Nassau at Glorious Goodwood, because I think she will get a mile and a quarter.

“We’ve got the Sun Chariot and other races all the way through the autumn as well.

“If we have to leave her off until the autumn, we will. She has got some entries in Germany and there are races for her on the continent, so it’s possible we would run her again before deciding whether to give her a break or not.”