Exciting Royal colt Portcullis appears likely to try and maintain his unbeaten record at York at this year’s Dante Festival.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Frankel, who was named by His Majesty The King, burst on to the scene last month at Newmarket with a scintillating debut success in the Betway Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes.
And it seems his connections are content to take small steps for the time being with the Darley EBF ‘Confined’ Novice Stakes on May 15 their preferred option, however a tilt at the Listed Star Sports Heron Stakes at Sandown Park on May 28 has not been ruled out.
John Warren, racing manager to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen, said: “York is the likely next step for Portcullis, but there is a stakes race at Sandown two weeks later.
“John will be advising one way or another which way to go, but at the moment it is the novice unless John decides to give him more time to step him up to stakes company. I would say next week will be quite an important week.
“Typically he would have banked some education over the winter, which he wasn’t able to do so we are on a learning curve.”
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Although both His Majesty and Her Majesty were unable to attend the Rowley Mile last month to watch Portcullis on his debut Warren admits it was a victory that gave his famous owners plenty of enjoyment.
Warren added: “The King and the Queen were really excited with Portcullis at Newmarket. It was their first stamp of approval on the mating proposals.
"It is nice the King feels he has been involved as he named him and it is so important that they are engaged which is really wonderful.
“They are both genuinely interested and they really enjoy every runner they have.”
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