Elegant Man will return to all-weather racing for his next outing, with connections eyeing lucrative opportunities in the Middle East this winter.
The colt, sired by the Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup champion Arrogate, has shown a clear preference for synthetic surfaces, having secured wins at Dundalk and Newcastle. His standout performance in the Easter Classic at Gosforth Park during All-Weather Championship Finals Day prompted a leap into high-stakes turf races, including the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Struggling to make an impact in these elite races, Elegant Man was given a mid-summer break. Trainer Adrian Murray and owner Amo Racing have decided to return him to the surface where he has excelled. The four-year-old is now being prepared for the Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on September 27, which could pave the way for a winter campaign in the Middle East.
Murray commented: "Elegant Man is likely to head to Dundalk in a couple of weeks. He hasn’t performed as well on grass as he does on all-weather surfaces. We’re planning to target races in Dubai and other high-value events this winter, where there is significant prize money."
"He’s proven himself as a capable horse on synthetics, and after giving him some time to freshen up following Ascot, we believe he might be more effective on the all-weather. We’ll give it another shot and see how he fares."