William Haggas is planning a twin assault on the Juddmonte International at York next week, with Mohaafeth set to be joined by stable companion Alenquer.
Mohaafeth has long been considered a likely contender for Wednesday‘s 10-furlong showpiece – and while he lost his unbeaten record for the season in the York Stakes over the course and distance last month, he looks set to return to the Knavesmire.
Alenquer has not run over a mile and a quarter since inflicting a narrow defeat on subsequent Derby and King George hero Adayar at Sandown in the spring, since when he has won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished third in the Grand Prix de Paris over a mile and a half.
The Adlerflug colt is ante-post favourite for York’s Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes with some bookmakers, but Haggas is favouring a drop in distance on the same afternoon.
“I think he’s more likely to go for the Juddmonte, that’s the idea at the moment,” said the Newmarket handler.
“He’ll be coming back in trip, but you can put a line through his run in France because he never went at all. He got too far back and it was too much (ground to make up).
“We don’t really want to go down the Leger route, so we’re going to go for the shorter races.”
Of Mohaafeth, Haggas said: “I think he’ll go there as well. I haven’t talked to connections, but that’s the way we’d be thinking.”
The hot favourite for the Juddmonte International is Aidan O’Brien’s St Mark’s Basilica, who has been imperious in winning the French 2000 Guineas, the French Derby and the Coral-Eclipse this season.
Eclipse third and King George runner-up Mishriff is another big gun in contention, and Haggas is under no illusions about the task his two candidates face.
He added: “We’ll need both hands full to take those boys on, but there you go! We’ll see what happens.”
