He was badly hampered and had to be switched three times at the business end of the race, yet was only beaten two lengths by the winner Sesenta.

Then in the hands of Michael Bell, he was moved to Alan King’s yard for a hurdling campaign which began with a winning bow at Plumpton but ended in disappointment in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“He’ll be back on the Flat and his principal target is the Ebor,” confirmed owner Henry Ponsonby.

“With a clear run he would have probably just about won the Ebor last year.

“That will be his target if we can get him ready. We won’t get him back in time for the Northumberland Plate. There are plenty of races after the Ebor as well.

“You never know we might have another go at winning the Mallard at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting in the autumn before he goes back to hurdles.

“If the ground at York is like it was there last week, you can forget the Ebor,” Ponsonby told At The Races.