David Marnane eyeing Dubai campaign with Royal Ascot winner Settle For Bay
David Marnane is looking forward to a winter campaign in Dubai with his Royal Ascot winner Settle For Bay.
The Rio De La Plata gelding was an impressive winner of the Royal Hunt Cup in June, but has not been seen in competitive action since after suffering a minor setback.
Marnane feels the break may have been a blessing in disguise for his charge and views him as an ideal candidate for the Carnival at Meydan.
He said: "He got a bit of a stone bruise after Ascot and he harboured that for a while.
"We got to the stage where we were three-quarters of the way through the season and maybe we could have got him back for Irish Champions Weekend or something like that, but the ground might have gone against him and we'd be getting him ready for just one race.
"In the end we decided to bite the bullet and give him a break and he's fine again now and all set to go to Dubai.
"He's had an enforced break, but it might have been all for luck as he's a big horse at 17 hands and he's really developed since Ascot.
"Some of his owners are from Dubai, he likes fast ground and it's just the perfect place to take him.
"There's a race for him on January 3 and that's what we're aiming at."
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