Rouget forced to shelve York plan for 'rusty' champion Almanzor

Almanzor took his first steps in public this year with a gallop at Clairefontaine on Saturday, after which trainer Jean-Claude Rouget admitted he was a long way behind with his conditioning.

But although the son of Wootton Basset will now miss his intended comeback in the Sky Bet York Stakes on July 29, his autumn campaign will take in both a defence of his Qipco Irish Champion Stakes crown at Leopardstown on September 9 and a first crack at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three weeks later.

Almanzor was one of those horses who lost his first half of his season through quarantine measures imposed on one of the barns at Rouget's base in south-west France.

Almanzor: set to return in AugustCredit: Edward Whitaker

Unlike horses such as Taareef and Zelzal, who made their returns to action in mid-June, Almanzor has been slow to come to hand and will now make his long-delayed reappearance at Deauville on August 15, effectively ruling out his participation in the Juddmonte International nine days later.

Christophe Soumillon was back on board for the work with tow galloping companions at Clairefontaine, Deauville's second racecourse.

'I really am a long way behind with his preparation'

"It really was only a half-speed and not a prep gallop," Rouget said on French racing channel Equidia. "He has never been particularly demonstrative in his work. But you could see he was rusty and that he didn't finish very fast. He worked as you would expect for a horse that that hasn't done anything since his win at Ascot."

Expanding on why Almanzor would miss his intended trip to York, Rouget said: "He had the problems linked with the virus-infected barn and also one or two physical issues. I really am a long way behind with his preparation. Because of that I am no longer thinking of the end of July for his first run but rather the Prix Gontaut-Biron on August 15.

"It's here [in Deauville] and to make him travel 1,000 kilometres to York when we have a similar race here a fortnight later, doesn’t make sense. It doesn't change the rest of the programme and he will go to the Irish Champion Stakes and then the Arc."

Rouget resisted the temptation to run in the Arc as a three-year-old, sticking to a mile and a quarter for Almanzor when completing the Leopardstown-Ascot Champion Stakes double.

Boylesports make Barney Roy their new 7-2 favourite for the Juddmonte International in the absence of Almanzor, who is a abest-priced 6-1 for the Arc.

Commenting on Almanzor's physical development at four, Rouget said: "Saddling I could see he is no longer the same horse as last year. Two 'half-speeds' would risk being a bit tight for a comeback run. He is staying in Deauville and has been there a while now. Had we been able to get going with him straight after the quarantine period came to an end, that would have been perfect, but he had some physical problems. But the spirit is there and the Gontaut-Biron should be quite an easy race for him."