Godolphin's G2 Coventry S. winner Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is on target for Europe's first juvenile Group 1 of the year, the Curragh's Phoenix S. Aug. 9, and may have a race before.
“He's come out of the [Coventry] in great form,” Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father, trainer Mark Johnston, told At The Races. “It's eight weeks to the Phoenix, which is the logical step up to Group 1 company. Whether he'll have a run between now and then, that decision will lie between Sheikh Mohammed, John Ferguson and dad.”
Johnston nominated the G2 July S. July 9 as the logical Phoenix prep for Buratino, and the G2 Richmond S. July 30 is also an option.
“If he was to have another run, the July S. would be the obvious option, but I couldn't say for definite if he'd go there or not at this stage,” Johnston added. “William [Buick] got off him at Ascot and said he would definitely stay seven, but at this stage there's no need to. The first two Group 1s for 2-year-olds in Europe are the Phoenix and the [Prix] Morny [at Deauville Aug. 23], and they are both over six furlongs.”
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