Royal Patronage likely to head down Derby route

Johnston colt beat Coroebus in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket.

Royal Patronage could be heading down the Cazoo Derby route, according to joint-trainer Charlie Johnston.

The Wootton Bassett colt can be backed at odds of 33-1 for both the Epsom Classic and the 2000 Guineas.

However, he is giving connections the impression he is going to be favoured by middle distances rather than the mile of the Guineas.

Royal Patronage produced a top-class performance when rallying in tremendous style to regain the lead from Coroebus in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in September.

His final run of the season can be ignored as he suffered an injury in running when last of eight to Luxembourg in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October.

“We’ve had lots of excited Highclere owners coming here at regular intervals to see Royal Patronage, who seems to have wintered very well, but it is still very much the early days of his preparation for the season ahead,” said Johnston, who holds the licence with his father, Mark.

Charlie Johnston
Charlie Johnston (Mike Egerton/PA)

“We won’t see him before the Guineas at the absolute earliest and I think we’re starting now to lean towards the route of starting in the Dante with a Derby run in mind. He’s certainly the flagbearer (for the yard) in the three-year-old division.

“It always sticks in my head that dad has always said the best trial for the Derby is the Guineas and I think, probably going into the winter, we thought we had that as the favourite place for him to start this year.

“But looking at how he’s developed from two to three, he certainly physically looks more like a mile-and-a-quarter-plus horse than a miler now.

“Only when we start to do some faster work with him in March will we get a better handle on what distance is going to be optimum for him this season but looking at him, the physical shape and size of the horse now, he’s starting to scream a mile-and-a-quarter-plus.”

Johnston revealed Subjectivist will have the Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap as his intended first port of call at the Saudi Cup meeting in 2023 after he was ruled out for all of this year.

Subjectivist has not raced since being injured when winning the Gold Cup at Ascot last summer – but connections are looking to bring him back.

“We’re biting the bullet and leaving our best horse on the sidelines for this season, but we felt to give him the best chance of standing training going forwards we would rule this year out,” he said.

“He will come back into training in September with the Saudi Cup meeting in 2023 as his primary target.

“He hasn’t been ridden for quite some time. He’s still manageable – an entire that hasn’t been ridden for a long time can become quite fresh and difficult.

“We’ll look forward to getting him turned out in April time when the weather allows and give him some time out at grass this summer, then bring him back at the end of the summer with a view to getting him ready through the winter for this meeting next year.”

However, the Johnston team are to be represented in this month’s Red Sea Turf Handicap by Nayef Road.

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