Trip To Paris penalty concerns Dunlop

Ed Dunlop is happy with Trip To Paris, but is concerned about the horse’s penalty in the Goodwood Cup.

Trip To Paris will have to shoulder a Group 1 burden for the two-mile Group 2 contest at Goodwood on Thursday following his success in the Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month.

The four-year-old’s win at Ascot capped an eye-catching rise up the ranks this year as he won the Chester Cup and finished second in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown on his previous two starts, having started the season with a fourth place at Kempton off a mark of 88.

Dunlop is not concerned about Trip To Paris dropping back down in trip to two miles for the Goodwood Cup, especially after the horse showed enough pace to beat the consistent Fire Fighting over a mile-and-a-half at Lingfield in April.

Instead, giving weight away to the rest of the field is the chief worry for Dunlop as Trip To Paris bids for a famous staying double.

Dunlop told Racing UK: “I’m very happy with him. He’s had a nice break after Royal Ascot and that was always the plan to come here. We know we have to shoulder a Group 1 penalty but he’s in good form.

“I just had a gut feeling because of his temperament that he might stay well and that’s why we went down that route, and the rest is history.

“He’s won over a mile-and-a-half this year, and has got a turn of foot, but it’s very competitive. There are some interesting horses in the race without penalties, so it won’t be easy.”