Tregoning sizes up Sovereign Stakes with Perotto

Marcus Tregoning’s Perotto could take aim at Salisbury’s Sovereign Stakes after his fourth-placed effort at Goodwood last week.

The New Bay gelding contested the Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Friday – which was won impressively by the unbeaten and highly-regarded Baaeed.

That race was a step up to Group Three company for Perotto, who has been handicapping since the beginning of his three-year-old campaign and was a Royal Ascot winner in the Britannia Stakes.

A 12-1 shot at Goodwood, he started slowly and was forced to take a wide line to find some room at a crucial stage.

The placed horses behind Baaeed finished in a bunch – with El Drama and Tasman Bay crossing the line narrowly ahead of Perotto.

Tregoning said: “He obviously lost a couple of lengths, trying to manoeuvre out on bad ground, which was quite difficult for him.

“With a better run, he’d have been second possibly. That’s what I feel anyway, but the winner was gone, the bird had flown.

“How good a race it was, in terms of depth, I couldn’t be certain – but I think he’s well up to Listed class.

“I’m not sure how good the winner is, but he’s unbeaten this year and he’s making up for lost time – I’m sure there’s an even better race in him, maybe a win in a Group One or two, who knows.”

As for Perotto, the Hampshire has his eye on the Group Three Sovereign over a mile on August 12.

“He’s a very hardy horse, he takes his races very well,” he said.

“We’re thinking about maybe going to Salisbury and running him in that mile race called the Sovereign Stakes – we might go there with him.”