Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami suffers training setback with Royal Ascot defence in doubt

Leading Ascot Gold Cup contender and reigning champion Courage Mon Ami has suffered a setback according to owners Wathnan Racing. 

The five-year-old, who is as short as 6-1 to claim next month's Royal Ascot Group 1, has not been seen since chasing home Coltrane in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York in August. 

Courage Mon Ami won his first four starts for John and Thady Gosden and scored at Goodwood last May before following up in the Gold Cup under Frankie Dettori. 

"He had a bit of a training setback last week and had some time off, and we're now investigating this week to see whether it's serious or not," said Richard Brown, racing adviser to Wathnan Racing. "Until we really dig into it, we just don't know so we'll see what the vets find and then we can make a plan."

Wathnan burst on to the international scene with two victories at Royal Ascot last season courtesy of Courage Mon Ami and his stablemate Gregory, who remains on course for the Ascot Gold Cup. The four-year-old won the Queen's Vase before finishing third in the Great Voltigeur Stakes and fifth in the St Leger on his final start last season.

Gregory: winner of the Queen's Vase last yearCredit: Tom Dulat

After finishing third on his seasonal reappearance in the Yorkshire Cup over a mile and six furlongs behind Giavellotto, Gregory is 7-1 generally for the Gold Cup. 

Brown said: "The Gold Cup is very much the plan for him. We thought he ran a lovely race at York. James [Doyle] is quite taken with him and I think both he and John Gosden feel he'll get the extended trip. He's very much on target for that."

Last season, Wathnan bought a number of high-profile horses including Isaac Shelby and Remarquee. However, both have had to be retired. Isaac Shelby picked up an injury when second in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein last season, while Remarquee was also injured while making her seasonal reappearance in the Chartwell Stakes at Lingfield. 

"Losing two big guns in Isaac Shelby and Remarquee is obviously a disappointing blow for an operation that's just getting started with a small number of horses but the owners are great sportsmen and we'll rebuild and look to the future," said Brown. 

Wathnan have added to their roster this year and on Saturday it was confirmed that the owners had bought Fast Tracker, a leading candidate for France's version of the Derby, the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. 

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