Fenton ponders Dunguib run in Gold Cup

Philip Fenton would "certainly think" about running Dunguib in next year's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot - as long as conditions are suitable.

This year's renewal of the Group One prize went to the Dermot Weld-trained Rite Of Passage, a horse Dunguib beat by over 10 lengths in the 2009 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

"The ground would be very important to our fellow, and good to firm would definitely be a no-go for him," said Fenton.

"It would have to be good to soft for him to run there, but if the ground was right, we'd certainly think about it."

Dunguib won four of his six starts in his debut season over hurdles but suffered defeats at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.

Fenton has consequently decided his stable star turn will make a late start to his next campaign in a bid to have him at the peak of his powers in the spring.

"The horse is very well and is enjoying himself out in the field," the trainer added.

"He's had a very good summer but it will probably the last week of August or the first week of September before he comes back into training.

"Our plan is to start him off around Christmas time and hopefully he will be at his best around Cheltenham and Punchestown, rather than going off the boil.

"We just felt a combination of a couple of those things didn't help him last season, so we'll start him a little later and see how we go."