Melbourne Cup features in number of exciting choices for Alfred Boucher

‘It’s very nice to have a horse of that quality and with that desire to do his job’.

The Melbourne Cup is among the options under consideration for Alfred Boucher after he came so close to completing a memorable York double in Saturday’s Sky Bet Ebor.

Following an impressive victory in a valuable two-mile handicap on the Knavesmire on Wednesday, the six-year-old was turned out 72 hours later for the weekend’s GBP 500,000 feature.

After hitting the front inside the final furlong, Alfred Boucher was reeled in by Trawlerman under an inspired Frankie Dettori, with just a short head separating the pair at the line.

Trainer Ian Williams reports the grey to have taken a busy week in his stride and it appears likely he will be having his passport stamped at some stage, with several foreign targets on the table.

“Alfred Boucher has taken his York exertions well and come out of his race nicely,” said the Alvechurch handler.

“Plans are very much up in the air, who knows what we’ll do? We’ll give it a week or two for the dust to settle, but it’s very nice to have a horse of that quality and with that desire to do his job.

“It (Melbourne Cup) is a consideration and there’s a very good programme of races for horses like him in the Middle East.

“He likes the fast ground, so Melbourne, Dubai, who knows? We’ll make a decision with the owner when we need to.”

Ian Williams has big ambitions for Alfred Boucher
Ian Williams has big ambitions for Alfred Boucher (Mike Egerton/PA)

Having initially been cautious about the idea of turning Alfred Boucher out so quickly following his success of a week ago, Williams admits he was relieved it did not backfire.

He added: “It nearly paid off in a serious, serious manner and it wasn’t the wrong thing to do anyway. Any day you can pick up nearly GBP 90,000 in a race is a good day!

“Maybe he’d have won the Ebor if he hadn’t have run earlier in the week, but then he wouldn’t have got in without the penalty, so it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.

“He could be back for the Ebor next year. You can’t not want to be running in races like that, but it all depends how his handicap mark goes and how he keeps going forwards.”

Another Williams inmate who performed well at York was Reshoun, who placed third – beaten just a short head for second – behind the runaway winner Quickthorn in Friday’s Lonsdale Cup.

Considering plans for the rest of the year, Williams said: “He’ll probably run in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket I’d imagine, or the staying race round Chester later on in the year.”

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