Nostrum expected to bypass Haydock in favour of Newbury test

Following a hugely promising start to his career which included Group Three and Listed wins, plus third place in the Dewhurst, Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old rounded off 2023 with successive odds-on defeats and finished last of six on his return in Sandown’s bet365 Mile.

However, a subsequent gelding operation appeared to have the desired effect, with the son of Kingman performing far better on his most recent outing when finishing a close second to Noble Dynasty in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in July.

Owners Juddmonte are hoping he will continue his resurgence in the second half of the season, but are planning to instead rely on Andrew Balding’s filly Clove Hitch on Merseyside this weekend, with Nostrum bound for the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury on September 20.

“Clove Hitch is going to run at Haydock and Nostrum is going to wait for a Listed race at Newbury,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“Ryan Moore actually sat on Nostrum this morning and thought he felt great, so he’s ready to come back.”

Clove Hitch will head to Haydock on something of a retrieval mission following a slightly disappointing effort in the Coral Distaff at Sandown last time out.

However, she was not beaten far when third behind the top-class Economics at Newbury earlier in the season and could hardly have been more impressive when scoring by eight lengths at the Berkshire circuit on her penultimate outing

Mahon added: “Clove Hitch is going to take her chance at Haydock. She obviously looked impressive winning her maiden and on soft ground in Sandown the last day, she actually came out of it very sore. Ryan felt she was coming to win her race and she lost her action.

“She came out of it quite sore, so we’ve given her a little freshen up since then and Andrew is happy with her and she’s moving well again.”