Hugo Palmer reflects on a stunning purple patch and confirms international aim for Goodwood winner Seagulls Eleven

Hugo Palmer is riding the crest of a wave and hopes his purple patch can roll on through the year and reach as far as Australia.

Palmer landed three Group 3 contests in six days, including a double on the King George card at Ascot with Fitzella in the Princess Margaret Stakes and Cheshire Dancer in the Valiant Stakes. He also took the Thoroughbred Stakes with Seagulls Eleven at Glorious Goodwood.

His stunning week was capped by Roman Dragon becoming Chester's winningmost horse in the Queensferry Stakes on Sunday and the multiple Classic-winning trainer is savouring the success.

Palmer said: "The season comes so thick and fast it's hard almost to really appreciate it as it happens; you dust yourselves down and go on to the next fight. It's wonderful and everyone in every yard works extraordinary hours to put everything into it. 

Seagulls Eleven: impressive Goodwood winnerCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"Every time you go to the races you hope to win, so when you get moments of hot form it's all down to the staff and it's so lovely when it clicks."

Such has been Palmer's recent level of success that the owner of his Manor House Stables, Michael Owen, has spoken of ambitions to make him Britain's champion Flat trainer one day, but the man himself is keeping his feet firmly grounded.

"I did tease Michael about it, but we're a very long way from that just yet!" he said. "I've always thought in life you have to keep dreaming to be at the top. 

"Every time I get a horse to come to the yard we always want to be ambitious and think of them as top-class. We're enjoying what we're doing and hope to build year-on-year."

Palmer is still looking at taking Seagulls Eleven – who is owned by former and current footballers at Brighton and Hove Albion – to Australia for a crack at the Golden Eagle.

Michael Owen with Oisin Murphy after Seagulls Eleven's Glorious Goodwood winCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The A$10 million (£4.87m) contest was won last year by the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, who defeated Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat.

Palmer said: "Seagulls Eleven can run for money now. He's a very big horse and I can't see why he won't be an even better four-year-old. We'll look to campaign him nationally and internationally. 

"He's versatile, so seven furlongs or a mile will be his trips. He's come out of Goodwood really well and he's rated similarly to Lake Forest last year, so fingers crossed we can go to Australia."

Read these next:

Group 1s across the continent, juvenile stars, the Shergar Cup and classy midweek action offers something for everyone 

Wathnan bounce back from underwhelming Goodwood - and now set their sights on another Group 1 with Royal Ascot star Lazzat 

It's an unusually wide-open Arc market - so where should we be looking next for the winner of Europe's biggest prize? 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.