Toormore returns to training with Appleby after stud career flops

Former champion two-year-old Toormore has returned to training after he was removed from the Darley stallion roster due to insufficient demand for his services earlier this year.

Rather than return to his original trainer Richard Hannon, however, owner's Godolphin have opted for a change of scenery for the six-year-old by putting him into training with Charlie Appleby in Newmarket.

The son of Arakan was top of the juvenile tree in 2013 when he was unbeaten in three starts including the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh.

After winning the Group 3 Craven Stakes on his reappearance the following year, Toormore went onto hold his own in Group 1 company and was bought by Godolphin prior to winning the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood the following year after which he finished third in the Prix De La Foret at Longchamp.

As a five-year-old, Toormore kicked off when landing the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Sandown and performed creditably through the year and was "retired" after finishing seventh in the Park Stakes at Doncaster in September.

His new trainer Appleby said: "We've had Toomore a few weeks now and he's coming along well. He wasn't proving a commercial success as a stallion so the decision was taken to return him to training.

"He still seems to be enjoying it and William Buick sat on him in a piece of work on Saturday morning and liked him. The initial plan is to run him in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on August 1, a race he has won in the past."