Jessica Harrington is happy to be patient with stable star Hotazhell, who has the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes as his big target.
The four-year-old son of Too Darn Hot has not been seen since getting his nose in front of Timeforshowcasing during an epic British and Irish tussle in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen on July 26.
The form of that German Group One has been franked after Timeforshowcasing’s third in the Prix Jean et Louis Romanet at Deauville at the weekend, the same venue where Wimbledon Hawkeye – a half-length third in Munich – collected Group Three honours earlier this month.
Harrington has given Hotazhell a rest following the rigours of that race and he is set to be fresh for the Leopardstown contest on September 12, in which he was a creditable fourth to Delacroix last year.
“He’s great, I’m delighted with him and couldn’t be better,” she said.
“He’s come out of his race in Germany really well. He’s waiting to go to the Irish Champions Stakes.
“He’s in good form and that’s our aim, to go there. It was a long way to go for Munich.”