Karl Burke insists he “hasn’t lost any faith” in Zeus Olympios as he goes in search of his first victory of the campaign in the Juddmonte Summer Mile at Ascot on Saturday.
Connections understandably had big ambitions for the Night Of Thunder colt after he rounded off an unbeaten three-year-old campaign with victory in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes in September, but he has come up short on each of his three starts so far this season, albeit still performing with great credit.
Since stepping into Group One company a third in the Lockinge has been followed by a fourth in the Queen Anne Stakes most recently, and he now returns to Berkshire for a Group Two assignment.
Burke, who will also saddle Holloway Boy, said: “He’s very well in himself and we’ve got a nice draw. I’ll have a good look at the race and where the pace is, but we could change up the tactics slightly.
“He’s in great form and I still think he’s a very good horse. He’s falling short of a Group One horse at the moment, but he came stronger in the second half of the season last year, so maybe he’s an autumn/second half of the season horse.
“We had him entered at Leopardstown in a Group Three next week, but he had 10st on his back giving away a stone to some horses and I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.
“Hopefully he’ll perform and he can go for something like the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
“I haven’t lost any faith in him, but he has to prove it now.”
William Haggas also has Deauville pencilled in for Royal Ascot runner-up More Thunder who has become a real player in the mile division this term and has finished ahead of Zeus Olympios at both Newbury and in the Queen Anne.
“He’s in good form, I’m wanting to have a good look at the Prix Jacques le Marois in Deauville and this is a nice stepping-stone before then,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing.
“I’m not sure about the Sussex, I’m not sure about the track for him. He is in it, but this and then Deauville makes more sense to me.
“We thought it was a good Queen Anne, but even the connections of the winner were surprised by the ease of his victory. Our horse ran very well, though.
“I’ve found this year the better races are more competitive than ever, more are staying in training and the prize-money is better. Why shouldn’t it be a competitive race.
“Tom is at Newmarket so Cieren (Fallon) gets his chance on a good horse, he deserves a shot at a better race.”
Course regular Docklands will represent Harry Eustace, while French interest is provided by Christophe Ferland’s No Lunch.
The Gallic contender accounted for Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven when bringing up a six-timer at Saint-Cloud in early May and the form of that victory got a huge boost when Seagulls Eleven himself then struck in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom.
Palmer is hoping for another big performance and said: “He seems to be in the form of his life. Small fields and turning track are what we’re after.”
The sponsors are represented by Andrew Balding’s Jonquil, with Julie Camacho’s Naqeeb completing a field of eight.