Kikkuli's connections remain confident that the exceptionally bred colt will soon shine, despite falling short in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville last Sunday.
As a half-brother to the legendary Frankel, this Kingman colt nearly tasted victory at Royal Ascot in his previous outing, narrowly missing out to Haatem in the Jersey Stakes. Encouraged by that performance, trainer Harry Charlton's protege ventured to France for his first Group One challenge with high hopes. However, under Ryan Moore's guidance, he finished a respectable sixth. Despite this, optimism abounds among his team.
“He was only beaten four lengths in the end and I think it was an OK run,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager to owner-breeder Juddmonte. In fairness, he got quite a hefty bump mid-race, Ryan said it just set him alight, and he pulled like a train for two furlongs in the middle of the race and that probably cost him at the end of the race. He’s done a lot in a short space of time, and Ryan was very complimentary – he said there’s a good horse in there. He’s just immature and it hasn’t quite happened yet, but it will happen, and that experience will have brought him forward.”
Mahon outlined the plan ahead: “I think he’ll have a little freshen up now as he’s had two hard runs in the space of two weeks. I think he’ll have a little freshen-up for the rest of July and we’ll see what there is for him in August.”