Master Of The Seas back in training with Longchamp on the agenda

Qipco 2,000 Guineas runner-up Master Of The Seas returned to light exercise on Saturday morning following the setback which ruled him out of next month’s St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old was also forced to miss the Irish 2,000 Guineas after sustaining a joint injury a fortnight ago, but the Godolphin trainer is in no rush to return the son of Dubawi back to the track.

Prior to the setback, the Craven Stakes winner was beaten only a short head by Poetic Flare in the first British Classic of the season at Newmarket on May 1.

Master Of The Seas (blue cap): has a Longchamp Group 1 as a major target for his returnCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Appleby said: “It’s nice to have Master Of The Seas back in light exercise and we’ll play it by ear as to where we go with him.

"Obviously – as has been well documented – he won’t make Royal Ascot and we could have a look at Goodwood with him in July if he makes the right progress.

"The race I really want to run him in is the Group 1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September. I reckon he would be well suited to going a mile at Longchamp.”

Appleby went close to landing the French prize with the retired Pinatubo a year ago, when he was a fast-finishing runner-up to the Andre Fabre-trained Persian King.

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