Last year's Cartier Horse of the Year Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will make his seasonal debut in the G2 Sky Bet York S. on July 29, trainer Jean-Claude Rouget told Racing Post. Almanzor won five straight races last year at three, including the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and the G1 Qipco Irish Champion S. and G1 Qipco Champion S. over G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but has not been seen yet this year after being caught up in an equine herpesvirus scare in his trainer's barn. Other runners stabled in the EHV 1-quarantined barn to have returned include Taareef (Kitten's Joy) and Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who finished one-two in the G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines on June 18; and Neguev (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}), third in Wednesday's G3 Prix Daphnis. Rouget said a tilt at the G1 Juddmonte International on Aug. 23 would follow the York S.
“That's still where I expect to go [with him] and, for now at least, all has gone according to plan,” the trainer told Racing Post.
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