Godolphin two-year-old Buratino finished a creditable third in Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh after finding the going unsuitable, and trainer Mark Johnston is now thinking of revisiting the colt's programme for the back-end of the season.
Godolphin two-year-old Buratino finished a creditable third in Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh after finding the going unsuitable, and trainer Mark Johnston is now thinking of revisiting the colt's programme for the back-end of the season.
Johnston said: "He was in the right position in the first half of the race, and he pulled out more when asked, though not as much as the first and the second did. William (Buick) said it (the ground) was too sticky for him."
With less than a furlong and a half to go, Buratino became involved in a tussle with Washington DC, but then another Ballydoyle contender, Air Force Blue, who the Godolphin colt had beaten in Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes, came sailing down the outside to win by two lengths, and half a length.
Johnston was firmly of the opinion that the ground, officially termed Good (Good to Yielding in places), had not permitted Buratino to be seen at his best. He pointed out that the colt's two best runs, at Epsom and Ascot, were both on fast ground.
"I think what I need to do is to go back home and look at Buratino's record, just to confirm that he does not like soft ground. Then we can take it a step further and look at plans for later in the season.
"There is a possible dilemma, as you find yourself asking where do you find fast ground late in the year? Somebody suggested the Breeders' Cup, but that would mean stepping up to one mile.
"We need to talk to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and his team about the fast ground options that are available, and we can then take it from there," the trainer added.
Buratino, a son of Exceed and Excel, had beaten Air Force Blue two lengths at Royal Ascot, so this performance marked a reversal of form to the tune of four and a half lengths.
There was further frustration for Godolphin half an hour later when the Michael Halford-trained Toscanini was edged out by a short head in the six-furlong G3 Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
The Shamardal three-year-old was just touched off right on the line after he went head and head with eventual winner Mattmu.
There was a further gap of two lengths back to Fort Del Oro in third.
At Deauville, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's Muhaarar landed the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest by half a length in a driving finish that also saw Esoterique and Gordon Lord Byron fill the minor placings.
Muhaarar was staking yet another claim to the champion sprinter's title, as this was the three-year-old's third successive G1 victory in the space of six weeks. He won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, and capped it all with this latest triumph at Deauville.
Godolphin's Majestic Queen finished a close-up sixth (beaten two and a half lengths) to Muhaarar, right in the middle of the pack who came up the stands rail.
