O'Brien targets Ascot debut for Vancouver

Tuesday 22 March 2016, 5:25am

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien is considering running 2015 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver in the 1600-metre Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Breeding giants Coolmore purchased the three-year-old for $AU40million last year making him the most expensive winner of the Rosehill showpiece.

Vancouver showed his worth over shorter distances during his juvenile campaign when trained by Gai Waterhouse and also landed the Group Two Todman Stakes at Randwick.

However, he failed to place in his final run in Australia, finishing fourth to Japonisme in the 1100-metre San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill, and O'Brien believes the Medaglia D'Oro colt may be better suited to a longer trip - starting with the Royal Ascot curtain raiser.

"He's been with me three weeks and he's doing one canter, he'll step up to two and we'll prepare him hopefully for Ascot," said the Ballydoyle handler.

"We'll be thinking six furlongs or a mile with him. I thought he would be a miler and I'd be thinking about the Queen Anne, even though he has shown six-furlong pace in Australia."

– PAA

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