Richard Hannon set to keep Middleham Park’s Raymond Tusk batting against the best after Coral-Eclipse sixth
A step up in trip is on the agenda for the lightly raced colt
RAYMOND TUSK will continue to compete at a high level following his sixth behind Roaring Lion in the Coral-Eclipse.
Trainer Richard Hannon has an eye on the St Leger for his unexposed three-year-old.
After just two starts in races well below the required standard, to many Raymond Tusk's entry in the Coral-Eclipse looked like a mistake.
However, he proved his doubters wrong and demonstrated he's capable of holding his own at the top level, running very respectably for a sixth-placed finish.
Now, similar targets are on the horizon for the son of High Chaparral, and after just three starts connections are confident there's more to come.
Tim Palin, owner Middleham Park's director of racing, said: "We were delighted with the other run the other day. Either he is a Group Three or Two kind of horse or he wants a bit further.
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"At the minute we're keeping our optimistic hat on and we can probably make him into a Group One horse, but he probably needs a mile and a half and he definitely needs softer ground.
"He is a Group horse, but we're still working out what number that is - three, two or one.
"We haven't got a firm plan for him.
"We've popped him in the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton on Friday and he's in the Great Voltigeur. We could also try to find a race for him abroad."
"We've got one eye on the St Leger. Stepping him up in trip might lead us in that direction.
"He is in a Group One in Germany over a mile and a half at the end of September.
"He's still in the Arc, but that may be a bridge too far at the moment.
"He's been given a rating of 106. If he could improve 5lb or 6lb that would put him in the mix for the St Leger. We just need to see what his trip is."