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| Staff Writer |
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Henry Longfellow, the highly anticipated contender, is regrouping after a disappointing performance in Sunday's French 2000 Guineas, with his sights set on redemption at Royal Ascot.
The son of Dubawi entered ParisLongchamp as the warm favourite but failed to maintain his unbeaten streak, finishing eighth in the race after struggling to assert himself from the rear of the pack.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien acknowledged a tactical error in handling Henry Longfellow during the race.
"That was a tactical error on my behalf. I told Ryan (Moore) to take his time on him because it was his first run, and he hadn't been away, and he'd never been on that type of track," O'Brien explained.
Despite the setback, O'Brien remains optimistic about Henry Longfellow's potential and is already looking ahead to future races. "He's come in like he didn't have any race... he was pleased, so we just put that down to a lovely experience. He went right-handed, and I'd say he felt it was only a piece of work," O'Brien commented.
The plan for Henry Longfellow has always been to target the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and O'Brien is steadfast in his commitment to this path. "The plan with him was, if everything went well, to go to the St James's Palace, so we're going to stick to that plan. I'll probably have more confidence in him the next day to tell Ryan to go forward with him in the St James's Palace," he affirmed.
As Henry Longfellow regroups and prepares for his next challenge, O'Brien is confident that the experience gained from the French 2000 Guineas will only serve to strengthen the colt's resolve as he aims for success on the prestigious stage of Royal Ascot.