Connections of Captain Dunne are eyeing Group One prizes for the six-year-old after his excellent display in the “Dash” at Epsom on Saturday.
Tim Easterby’s six-year-old was running in the fiercely competitive five-furlong (1000m) sprint for the third successive year, and made most of the running under David Allan.
Captain Dunne previously came within a nose of winning a Group Three at Longchamp and a return to France for the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc day is his primary objective for the remainder of the campaign.
Tim Palin, racing manager for owners Middleham Park Racing, said: “He thoroughly deserved that and so do the owners, who were making the long trek down there for the third year in a row.
“He was just touched off in 2009 and it all went wrong at the start in 2010.
“This year he got a good break and tracked across, and he’s just all speed and all class. His class just got him home in the end, as it was a massive blanket finish.
“The owners got their top hats and tails on yet again and they finally hit the bullseye rather than the 25.
“There are various options for him now. The real race for him is the Prix de l’Abbaye back at Longchamp – it’s tailor-made for him.
“He just got touched off by Inxile over the course and distance the other week. It’s not quite five furlongs and it suits him perfectly.
“The only worry would be that the ground might not be good to firm by then. He handles all sorts of ground, that isn’t the worry, but when it’s soft it is just that little bit more stamina-sapping.
“There are a couple of other races we have in mind for him in the meantime.
“The first one is the City Wall Stakes, which used to be run at Chester and I wish it still was, as that would have been ideal.
“They’ve moved it to York this year and while it is a fast five furlongs there, for some reason he is 5lb (2.5kg) less good at York than he is at places like Epsom and Chester.
“He might have to go for that race by default as there aren’t that many races he can run in and he might even go back to York for the Nunthorpe.
“I know I’m contradicting myself a bit by saying he doesn’t like York but saying he’ll run there, but he deserves to take his chance in Group One races now.
“There isn’t a lot between the top handicappers and the best sprinters around.
“The Abbaye is definitely his race and if we get the good to firm ground, we might just have a Group One winner on our hands before the year is out.”
PA AAP TURF
