No decision made on Lady Aurelia after King’s Stand Stakes flop says Wesley Ward
Retirement has yet to be discussed but the US trainer says that is out of his hands
TRAINER Wesley Ward had no explanation for Lady Aurelia's blowout performance in the King's Stand Stakes.
There will also be no repeat of last summer's Nunthorpe bid at York as the filly heads back to the US for further examinations.
The American flyer was a well-backed 2-1 favourite in the King's Stand but failed to defend her crown as Blue Point ran out a commanding winner.
It was a stark contrast from her two previous runs at the meeting but Ward revealed post-race tests showed no abnormalities as she scoped clean and has since trotted out.
Ward said: "Lady Aurelia came out of it great. We got the Ascot veterinarian team to check her out after the race and a couple of days later and she scoped clear and trotted out perfect.
"It just wasn't her day."
In the aftermath many questioned whether whether she was simply not the same horse anymore after she had already been beaten twice in America this season.
Ward added: "It's tough to say. She's coming home and we'll get the veterinarian team to check her out again and see if something pops up.
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"I had lunch with the owners on Thursday and we didn't really talk about it (the future).
"That decision (on retirement) isn't mine to make."
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Ward again took over Royal Ascot with his formidable team of nine runners and was relieved to get a winner with Norfolk Stakes champ Shang Shang Shang.
Bound For Nowhere also earned praise after a commendable third in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes when forced into making the running.
Reflecting on the week as a whole, Ward said: "I always go into Ascot with high expectations and in all the interviews I did I was very confident we had a very good team going there. Thankfully we managed to squeeze out one winner by half a thumbnail.
"Shang Shang Shang is coming home and we're kind of working back from the Breeders' Cup with her.
"There's a nice race at Saratoga over five and a half furlongs on the grass. We'll see how she goes, but I think that could be within her range.
"Bound For Nowhere ran great. We could take him to Australia for the big sprint there (Everest Stakes), but we see him as a miler going forward.
"He's developing from year to year and it would be great to bring him back to Ascot as a five-year-old.
"The Breeders' Cup Mile could be a target for him at the end of this year.
"Some of the others were disappointing, but I'm proud of the two horses that did good."
The other big disappointment of the week for Ward, along with Lady Aurelia, was the highly-touted Queen Mary favourite Chelsea Cloisters.
She is set to stay in Europe for the time being, with Ward adding: "Chelsea Cloisters got left at the gate and my horses are kind of trained to go from the front.
"She didn't really have a race, so we've entered her up for the Prix du Bois at Deauville (July 3) and she'll probably go there next."