George Scott is planning a raid on the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot with Caballo De Mar after his near-miss in Dubai Gold Cup.
The five-year-old was only headed by Fairy Glen inside the final furlong in Meydan and beaten half a length by Ed and Simon Crisford’s filly.
He had picked up Group One honours in the Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp and Scott is convinced there is more to come from the son of Phoenix Of Spain.
Scott said: “For me I think he had it all to prove at that level on better ground and he really stepped up and ran an amazing race.
“He got beat by an improving filly giving her weight and I felt like he’d improve for the run so I think we’ll probably work back from the Ascot Gold Cup for the first half of the season.
“The filly came fast and a long way away from us and he just didn’t have time to react to her. If you watch on the line he’s really coming back at her. It’s just one of those things. We got beat fair and square but under a different set of circumstances it might have been a bit closer.
“I think we’ll go to the Sagaro as a prep for the Gold Cup. It sort of fits very well and makes sense with the track.
“He’s in the Yorkshire Cup, he’s in a Group One in France as well which splits that and Ascot so we’ll just take it as it comes but I’m keen to go back to Ascot for the Sagaro in preparation for the Gold Cup and if there’s another race in the middle then so be it. At this stage it is probably those two races.”
After having not won in the Middle East with Caballo De Mar, Scott could correct the record with Phantom Flight in the rescheduled HM The King’s Cup in Bahrain.
Phantom Flight was fourth in the race last year and will look to pick up more glory in Bahrain after landing the Listed Al Adiyat Cup in January.
Scott added: “He’s trained great, we’re really pleased. We’ve been waiting for this rescheduled race.
“I’m very, very pleased with the way he’s prepared. It’s a bit of an in-house race this year but all the best horses in Bahrain have turned up and he loves the track and is as good as he ever has been. We’re pleased that Benoit (De La Sayette) is out there and has stayed out there to ride him and I hope he gets rewarded for that.
“I think he’s been at his best. In hindsight we’d have left the Neon Turf to the superstars and we’d have stayed and tried to win the Shaikh Nasser Cup but we felt like it was an opportunity that he deserved. But we’re back here now and he’s had a freshen up and he goes well fresh. “
