Isle Of Jura making strides in injury recovery

George Scott’s Royal Ascot hero is en route to recovery after missing the latter half of last season due to injury.

The New Approach gelding spent his winter in Bahrain last year, contesting a string of races for owners Victorious Racing before returning for a domestic campaign in the spring.

He took the Listed Festival Stakes at Goodwood in May before lining up a 16-1 shot for the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, odds he comfortably outran when denying Francis-Henri Graffard’s Goliath by nearly four lengths.

A setback then scuppered plans to aim for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes as the bay’s season ended prematurely, with Goliath going on to land the race ahead of subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking.

Meanwhile has been carefully brought back into work by Scott’s team and both the Hardwicke and King George are gently pencilled in for when he is firing on all cylinders again.

“We’re really pleased with him, his recent scans have been very positive and he’s back trotting,” said the trainer.

“We’re keen to take our time with his rehab. I guess the long-term plan is to go back to Royal Ascot for the Hardwicke with the King George then being his focus, but it’s really a case of one step at a time with him at the moment.

“It was interesting watching the King George last year, Goliath took a massive step forward and it’d be great to have another go at him later this year.”

Scott will also be looking forward to the return to action of Bay City Roller, a three-year-old colt by New Bay who was unbeaten in three runs as a juvenile.

His final success was a Group Two level in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster over seven furlongs and after wintering well so far, he is likely to be aimed at a late spring or early summer three-year-old debut.

“Bay City Roller is doing well, I initially thought that we’d have the Guineas in mind for him, but I think if he runs in the Guineas it will be the French,” said Scott.

“He’s grown a lot over the winter and we wouldn’t be in a rush with him at all, it might be that you see him more towards Royal Ascot time than in spring.

“We’re very pleased with him, he was always a horse that should do well from two to three and he’s looking like that physically, we’re just in no rush with him.

“There’s no concrete plan yet. He’s a big, strong horse but a neat horse too and I can’t see that he’s going to get further than a mile and a quarter.

“We’ll focus on the mile with him for the time being, he’s a horse with a big future and there’s lots to look forward to with him.”