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| Staff Writer |
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Group One-winning Paddington trained by Aidan O’Brien, is being aimed at the QIPCO Champions Stakes or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes after he suffered his first defeat of the season at York
Despite the setback, Paddington is reportedly in good health and will take a break before returning to training for the autumn season.
“Paddington is good, he’s fine. In all fairness to him he’s answered every call and even at York he answered it,” said the Ballydoyle handler. “He’ll have a little break now and we might look at going back to Ascot with him. We’ll give him a little chance and he’ll come back like a new horse. We’ve fairly put it up to him for a baby 3YO. Frankie (Dettori, rider of Mostahdaf) knew he was going to get him on his knees because he was after getting beat twice by him by following him.”
O'Brien suggests that the favoured option for Paddington may be a return to a mile for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, as he has also been entered in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.
He added, “Either the Champion or the mile, whatever the lads decide. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the mile as he has loads of speed. He gets a mile and a quarter, but it might be just class that makes him get it. He could be a miler, only that I’ve been stretching him and he wasn’t getting a choice. At his best he might be a miler, but it will depend on what the lads decide to do.”