Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby looking at Australia or Dubai for Barney Roy

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  • Charlie Appleby is considering including 2017 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Barney Roy in his team for Australia later this year.

    The Newmarket handler feels the former Richard Hannon-trained five-year-old is at the right stage of his career for an international campaign.

    After claiming a Listed contest at ParisLongchamp on his penultimate start, the son of Excelebration has not been sighted since finishing down the field when sent off favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

    Appleby said: “Barney Roy is on the pencil list for possible runners for Australia. We are just working out what will suit him best.

    “He might not end up going there, he might end up going out to Dubai over the winter and running in Group races out there as he will have no penalties.

    “I see him as an international type of horse for us now though.”

    Although Appleby has ruled out running Barney Roy in the Group Three Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on Friday week, he has hinted that a step back up to a mile and a quarter is on the cards.

    He added: “He is in the Royal Whip later this month, he won’t be taking up that engagement but we will be looking at going back up to 10 furlongs with him.

    “He is a gelding now with plenty of experience and a good level of ability.

    “Whether he is an Australia horse, I’m not sure yet, but his focus will be international racing.”

    Dubai Sheema Classic winner Old Persian will bid for a second Group One victory in Sunday’s Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin as he tries to bounce back from defeat in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

    Appleby added: “We originally looked at the Arlington Million for Old Persian, but he is being aimed at a German Group One at Hoppegarten at the weekend now.

    “We have given him a nice break and looking back at it now, he may have had a harder race than we thought on World Cup night and maybe he wasn’t quite on song in the Coronation Cup.

    “He is in great order and is giving us all the right signs he is back where he needs to be.”

    Provided by Press Association Sport

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