Proud Hannon excited by prospect of another year with Barney Roy

Barney Roy is to stay in training next year with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe among the options under consideration first for the three-year-old who trainer Richard Hannon on Sunday hailed as one of the toughest around.

The merest of margins denied Barney Roy victory over Ulysses in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse but Hannon was buoyed by the display and the prospect of at least another season for the Royal Ascot star to fulfil his significant potential.

While more immediate plans will wait "until the dust has settled" from Saturday's epic battle, Hannon was also pleased by the way Barney Roy showed stamina as a strong point on his step into the unknown for the Group 1 over a mile and a quarter.

"He probably got the mile and a quarter better than any other horse in the race," said the proud trainer.

"He is some horse the way he takes his races – he comes out of them so big and well. He was the only three-year-old to come out of Royal Ascot to have run his race since and he had a hard race at Ascot."

Barney Roy: trimmed into as short as 16-1 for the Arc at Chantilly on October 1Credit: Edward Whitaker

Barney Roy has an array of Group 1 options. But with Ribchester already Godolphin's golden older miler, a return to the trip over which he won the St James's Palace in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood looks an unlikely option.

A more obvious next step is sticking at the longer trip in the Juddmonte International at York on August 23, by which time his regular partner James Doyle will have finished any suspension for breaking the whip rules on Saturday.

Barney Roy was on Sunday trimmed into as short as 16-1 (from 20s) for the Arc at Chantilly on October 1, run over a mile and a half and 20 days before Ascot's Qipco Champion Stakes.

Hannon added: "We could work back from the Champion Stakes (on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on October 21) but he is even in the Arc.

"We will keep our options open and it is great he stays in training next year. He will be a very good middle-distance horse for this year and next year. He is in a lot of good races."

Charlton rues Sandown luck

Decorated Knight, who could not confirm his Royal Ascot form with Ulysses, will not be seen out again until the autumn.

Roger Charlton was another trainer left musing what might have been after he pointed out Decorated Knight featured in all three of the incidents the stewards investigated on Saturday.

"He was a bit bumped and bruised and seemed to be on the receiving end of everything – the race just didn't work out for some of the horses including us.

"There wasn't the pace expected and he ended up in front too soon. Ideally, he wants to get there in the last furlong but unfortunately that is the way the race went. We should have been an honourable third I felt."

The Tattersalls Gold Cup winner could go back to Ireland later in the year as Charlton added: "He will have a break now until the autumn when there is the likes of the Irish Champion and the Champion Stakes at Ascot."

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