Big Orange on course for Dubai return as Bell eyes new stayers' series

Michael Bell does not anticipate "a little blip" on Monday morning compromising Big Orange's chance in Saturday's Dubai Gold Cup and confirmed that the WH Stayers' Million would be on the agenda when last year's Gold Cup winner returns home.

However, while Bell regards the £1m bonus, which requires a stayer to win one of four designated early-season prizes, then the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and the sponsor's Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup, as achievable, he reckons it might be tougher for a ground-dependent horse like Big Orange.

The seven-year-old's immediate issue is that he was set fast – a muscle imbalance akin to cramp – after cantering in Dubai. While the likely fast ground at Meydan should be ideal at the weekend, unlike last year when it was unusually soft, the longer term fear is that somewhere along the line his chance in the new stayers' series will be compromised by the going.

Bell said: "We had a minor scare when he was set fast this morning, which is out of character for him, but normally horses recover very quickly and I hope it's a storm in a tea cup and that he'll canter again tomorrow.

"It's just a little blip, but he's physically fit enough and he's very clean-winded, so he should run his race, which will put him in the mix again. He was second to Vazirabad two years ago, and last year he still ran a great race in fourth, despite the ground and despite having a temperature of 104 just 48 hours before the race."

All being well, Big Orange could make his domestic return in Sandown's Henry II Stakes, which is one of the four 'first options' and which he won easily in 2017.

Bell said: "The Henry II would be a likely race, as it's an ideal prep for the Gold Cup. He would then go for the Goodwood Cup, where he didn't have his ideal ground last year and where the weight for age is loaded in favour of three-year-olds but still finished second to Stradivarius."

Stradivarius (Andrea Atzeni, left) beats Big Orange (Frankie Dettori) in the Goodwood CupCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Big Orange did not run in the Lonsdale last year, but it would be different this time should he be on target for the bonus. However, as Bell said: "Fast ground is unlikely on all four occasions, and that's why for Big Orange at least the bonus is a tall order."

Bell has booked Frankie Dettori for Dubai on Saturday but is well aware that the partnership is unlikely to continue owing to the jockey's commitments with John Gosden and his likely pairing with Stradivarius.

He said: "We might lose Frankie, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. James Doyle, who rode him at Ascot, could be available, and James McDonald [the Australian-based former Godolphin rider, who has been serving a betting ban] will be riding again soon, so he could come over, as he's ridden him before."

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