Meade: Eminent set for big year with Royal Ascot the first major target

Martyn Meade feels 2018 will be Eminent’s “year in the sun” as he set his sights on Royal Ascot success with last year's Derby fourth, who will be partnered by Oisin Murphy throughout the season.

The son of Frankel makes his return in the Huxley Stakes at Chester next month, with the plan then for the four-year-old to take in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot.

Eminent followed his fourth at Epsom behind Wings Of Eagles with victory in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville, but Meade said he thought the best is yet to come.

“I wasn’t disappointed with any race he ran last year but I think that he’s coming back this time much stronger. I firmly believe that this will be his year in the sun,” he said.

“I think he’ll be better on a faster surface. Chester is a track which would suit him and it would be a very good prep race for Ascot. A mile and a quarter is the trip over which he had his best runs last year.”

Eminent had four different riders for his seven races last season and Meade is keen to introduce some stability in 2018.

“The plan at the moment is for Oisin Murphy to ride him," he added. "He should be able to ride him throughout the season and I think it is important that we’ve got the consistency.”

Meade moved his stables west from Newmarket to Manton last month, and said he was happy with the change.

“The move went very smoothly, surprisingly. I thought it was going to be chaos, but everything went better than expected. Eminent has a great box sorted out, good views and lots going on, which he enjoys.”

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