Clover outlines Rothschild aim for Rogue Millennium

French Group One next on Ascot winner’s agenda.

Rogue Millennium will remain at a mile for the Prix Rothschild following her victory in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having run predominately over 10 furlongs for her first nine starts, astute trainer Tom Clover decided to supplement the four-year-old for the Group Two contest and drop her back to a mile for the first time.

The gamble paid off spectacularly, as the daughter of Dubawi stayed on smartly from a modest pace under Danny Tudhope to beat Random Harvest by a neck, and thus gain a third career success.

Her Newmarket handler is still pinching himself at recording his first British Group-race victory.

“It’s nice when a plan comes together,” said Clover. “It was just the most incredible day – it was a really, really special day and it is only just all sort of sinking in now, I suppose.

“It just been fantastic. You work your whole life towards it. It is fantastic, just superb.”

Rogue Millennium, who is owned by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, will now head to the Group One contest at Deauville on July 30.

“I would say she will go to the Prix Rothschild, ” said Clover. “It gives us a really nice time frame. It’s five weeks. We didn’t put her in the Falmouth. She didn’t love the Rowley Mile last year and the meeting on the July course, it is quite tight between Ascot and Newmarket.

Group-race success is still sinking in for Tom Clover
Group-race success is still sinking in for Tom Clover (John Walton/PA)

“I just feel you’d have every chance if you went straight to Deauville instead, so that’s what she will be training for.”

He added: “It’s lovely to see her getting quicker and she’s sharpening up all the time and actually, not to go very quick and to still get up and win was great.”

Rogue Millennium has had four runs already this term and with her trip versatility now confirmed, Clover admits there are plenty of potential avenues she could follow.

“There are all these lovely options now, though how we run in France I suppose will dictate where we go to a certain extent,” he said.

“She went in her coat quite quickly last year and she comes to hand very early in the spring, so it is really hard to know where we will be later in the season.

“The dream, the absolute dream, would be to even think about taking on the boys in the QEII, but that’s very far-fetched at the moment.

“Let’s think about the Rothschild now and take it from there.”

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