Kind Of Blue set for seasonal return at Chantilly on Sunday

Kind Of Blue will make his belated return to the track at Chantilly on Sunday when he blows away the cobwebs ahead of Royal Ascot in the Prix du Gros-Chene on the French Derby undercard.

Winner of the British Champions Sprint in October, a small setback ruled James Fanshawe’s star out of an intended trip to the Curragh last weekend and now he reverts to the minimum distance for his Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes tune-up.

Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing, said: “The plan was to go to the Greenlands (at the Curragh) or the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes, but we got a little hold up. It was nothing serious, but enough to hold us up a couple of days and miss a piece of work which is why he missed the engagement at the Curragh.

“He’s back and we’re very happy with him now. It’s obviously a sub-optimal trip in terms of five furlongs, but it’s important to get a run into him before hopefully going to Royal Ascot.

“It’s not an ideal trip, but it’s all about preparing to Ascot and hopefully he can get a good blow in on Sunday and that will leave us in a good place.”

Further British interest in the race is provided by Simon and Ed Crisford’s Cornwallis Stakes scorer Coto De Caza, while the same team will also saddle Ripon Listed winner Soldier’s Heart in the Prix Marchand d’Or.

Ed Crisford said: “Soldier’s Heart is a really nice horse and a very good sprinter.

“He’s been off since last August and he’ll improve for this first run back both sharpness and fitness wise, but we think he’s in good order and has been training well.

“We’ll see how he gets on in France on Sunday before confirming a plan, but I suspect if he was to run well on Sunday he could head to Royal Ascot.”

The Listed event also features Joseph O’Brien’s Midnight Strike and Karl Burke’s Arabie, with the latter no stranger to action on the continent and also a course and distance winner in the Prix Robert Papin last season.

The same connections see Ascot runner-up Super Soldier go to post for the opening Prix la Fleche, which also features Jack Morland’s Marygate Stakes fourth Saucy Jane and ex-pat Amy Murphy’s Nyoka.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s Conqueror Stakes runner-up Betty Clover takes aim at the Group Two Prix de Sandringham, with Andrew Balding’s Cheshire Oaks second Secret Of Love in action in the Group Three Prix de Royaumont.