Courage Mon Ami camp still aiming to reclaim Gold Cup

Mon Ami could head straight to after missing Saturday’s Aston Park Stakes at Newbury.

John and Thady Gosden’s six-year-old helped establish his owners Wathnan Racing when tasting Gold Cup glory at the Royal meeting in 2023.

Having since seen his progress curtailed by a series of setbacks, missing the whole of 2024, he was due to make his comeback after a 631-day absence at Newbury.

However, the son of Frankel’s misfortune continued with a late withdrawal from the Group Three event, with his team admitting time is now at a premium before attempting to recapture Flat racing’s premier staying prize.

Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners, said: “He’s absolutely fine and this horse has never had a serious issue, it is always niggles.

“He took a bad step and was just a little off behind. We’re always super careful so didn’t run in the Aston Park and we’ll have an investigation and see how he comes out of it.

“There’s a chance he might just have to go straight to Ascot. He’s been moving brilliantly and I saw him at John and Thady’s earlier this month and he has never moved better, he trotted past like a show horse, so it was very frustrating to get that call, but these things are sent to test us.

“We’ll get him through the next week and it may well be that it is a racecourse gallop before Ascot. Sandown (Henry II Stakes) is there as well, but we’ll just have to see how he is and how the timings fit.”