‘Everyone is so happy with him’ – Ambiente Friendly team counting down to York

Derby runner-up firmly on course for City Of Troy rematch.

It is “all systems go” for Ambiente Friendly, as he limbers up to take his place in an all-star cast for the Juddmonte International at York next week.

James Fanshawe’s three-year-old son of Gleneagles won the Lingfield Derby Trial by four and a half lengths in May and was launched into the Epsom picture as a result.

Under Robert Havlin he was a 9-2 chance for the premier Classic and though it was Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy who prevailed, Ambiente Friendly was an excellent runner-up behind him.

At the Curragh in late June he lined up for the Irish Derby and was this time the favourite, with this third-placed performance pleasing connections but also causing them to ponder a step down in trip.

As a result he skipped the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes over a mile and a half and heads to York a fresh horse ready to take on City Of Troy again, this time over a mile and a quarter.

Ambiente Friendly and Robert Havlin finished second in the Derby
Ambiente Friendly and Robert Havlin finished second in the Derby (PA)

Under Havlin the colt did a piece of work on Newmarket’s July course on Tuesday morning and the exercise was just what his connections were hoping for ahead of his trip to Yorkshire.

Tim Gredley, whose family own the horse, said: “He did a bit of work on the July course this morning and Rab said he couldn’t have gone better.

“I think a flat track and a left-handed mile and a quarter could be ideal, obviously there are a couple of horses in there that are very, very good, but having spoken to both the trainer and the jockey he couldn’t be in a better place.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we are going to win it because it’s the Juddmonte International, it’s a very prestigious race, but everyone is so happy with him – they couldn’t be happier.”

Ambiente Friendly has always been spoken of as a work in progress and Gredley is hopeful he will continue to improve through the rest of the term and into his four-year-old season in a similar manner to Charyn, Roger Varian’s dual Group One-winner who has seemed to really peak this season.

He said: “We gave him a little break and we decided to miss the King George. Every time we see him he seems to improve in a different way mentally and physically

“Rab said this morning that he’s so much more relaxed than he was three months ago. When they’re improving every time you’re running them rather than regressing, it is very exciting.

“We’re lucky that, all being well, we can keep him in training for next year at least. Tom (Fanshawe, son and assistant to James) especially has always maintained that physically he’s still not quite there and when you look at the likes of Roger Varian’s horse, that improvement from three to four can happen.

“We’re all dreamers of course, but it can happen. That’s not to say we can’t win the Juddmonte, everybody’s really happy with him, we’re all pleased we gave him a little break rather than go to the King George and it’s all systems go.”

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