Amy Murphy has an autumn campaign in mind for the upwardly-mobile Pride Of America.
The six-year-old has had a productive season so far, kick started by him winning a good handicap at Chester on his first run of the term.
The John Smith’s Cup at York was his main aim and he hit the target in mid-July, prevailing by a nose in a photo finish with Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Astro King.
Pride Of America then went on the finish a creditable third in the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood, whereas Astro King returned to York on Saturday and sealed the form of their John Smith’s clash by winning the Finale Handicap by a length and a half.
Ease in the ground is essential for Pride Of America and will now dictate when he returns to action after a brief break from full training post Goodwood.
“We’re just waiting for the ground to get a bit softer for him, cut in the ground is very important to him so we will wait until we can find some of that,” Murphy said.
“He’ll go to Germany in October, so we’ll look for something before that.
“He had two hard races at York and Goodwood, so it was always the plan to give him a freshen up after that and he’s back cantering now.”
The same owners have Pride Of America’s half-sister in training with Murphy, a three-year-old filly called Miss Cantik who has won two Saint-Cloud contests and was sixth in the Listed Prix Melisande at Longchamp when last seen.
She said: “We’ve got his half-sister too, Miss Cantik, so we’ll focus on getting some black-type form now.”
Murphy also has a pair of promising juveniles in Geologist and Dubai Hills, second and fourth respectively in the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket.
The former was beaten only half a length after finishing third in the Prix Six Perfections and will be heading to Canada as she is owned by the American group Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
Murphy said: “They’re two really nice horses, Geologist was arguably quite unlucky just getting left to run on her own.
“She’s a lovely filly and will probably go out to Woodbine. They’re both very nice horses.”
