Options aplenty for Toormore

Connections of Toormore are going to spend “hours and hours” deliberating over their next move following his Lockinge run.

Toormore had a largely disappointing campaign last term after failing to deliver Classic glory that many had expected, although he did round off the year with a third-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes behind Charm Spirit and Night Of Thunder.

The four-year-old again found his stablemate Night Of Thunder a fraction too good on his seasonal bow at Newbury, but went mighty close to turning the tables, finishing a neck behind in second at the Lockinge Stakes on Saturday.

His run has certainly got his connections excited and they now have some thinking to do over his next move.

Middleham Park Racing's Tim Palin said: “It was great to see him back. We knew he was back all spring, but he still had to go out there and do it.

“He did it in almost perfect matter, but the winner was better on the day and was probably a fitter horse.

“We'll now spend hours and hours working out what to do next.

“Do we drop him him class for a confidence boost or do we go for broke for the Queen Anne, which is probably going to be the race of the year?

“The other option is to step him up in trip. Kieren Fallon said after the QEII that he would get a mile and a quarter, so do we go the Eclipse route?”