Loughnane considering quick return to action for star juvenile Go Bears Go

Trainer Dave Loughnane is mulling over whether to supplement Phoenix Stakes third Go Bears Go for next week’s Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York as he plots his star juvenile's next move.

Go Bears Go provided Loughnane with his biggest day in racing with a rousing victory in the Railway Stakes at the Curragh in June, but narrowly missed out on his first crack at the highest level when third back at the same course for last Sunday’s Group 1.

Loughnane believes the Kodi Bear colt lost nothing in defeat on ground that was more testing than ideal, and a quick return to action is on the cards in either the Gimcrack on August 20, for which owners Amo Racing would need to pay a £12,000 supplementary fee, or the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on August 22.

Phoenix Stakes replay and analysis

Loughnane said: “He’s come out of the Phoenix absolutely fine. There are no plans absolutely set in stone yet and we have several options with him. He had no problem racing again quickly after Royal Ascot so we may supplement him for the Gimcrack or we could wait for the Prix Morny. Those are our two main targets.

David Loughnane on Go Bears Go: 'We can go wherever we want with him really and we’d have no concerns about stepping up to seven furlongs'Credit: Steve Davies

"We’re going to give him a few days, let him come back down to earth then see where he is."

Reflecting on the length defeat to Ebro River in the Phoenix, Loughnane added: "He probably didn’t travel as well as he did in the Railway. Whether that was down to the ground being softer than we’d have liked or we were just thrown out on a wing I’m not sure.

"I said he was a Group 1 horse coming into the race and I still think he’s a Group 1 horse now. I’d have no concerns taking on anyone from Sunday again under different conditions.

"He did himself justice and lost nothing in defeat, it just wasn’t his day. He would prefer it quicker and we’ve always said he’d be a better horse on a quicker surface."

Go Bears Go on Tuesday received an entry for the six-furlong Middle Park Stakes on September 25, but he could also step up in trip for the Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs on October 9.

Outlining plans for later in the year, Loughnane said: "He’s got an entry in the Dewhurst and the Middle Park. We can go wherever we want with him really and we’d have no concerns about stepping up to seven furlongs."

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