Burnt Toast - Jamie Osborne says it just went horribly wrong for New York

Jamie Osborne is still planning to take on the world again with Toast Of New York after the seven-year-old disappointed when finishing last of 12 in the Pegasus World Cup on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Despite the huge odds stacked against him, the Lambourn trainer had gone to Florida full of confidence that Al Shaqab's representative could produce at least a respectable effort in the world's richest race.

In the event, however, Toast Of New York, ridden by Frankie Dettori, struggled to keep tabs on the leaders in the early stages and, after racing in midfield, was a spent force on the far turn and dropped back through the field behind impressive winner Gun Runner.

"I know I look slightly silly bringing him here now, but I still believe wholeheartedly that he is capable of competing at this level," said Osborne, who reported his horse was coughing "like a 60-a-day man" after the race owing to the kickback.

"Maybe he needs a full mile and a quarter to show it now but I'm still a believer and I don't think it's a soppy sentimental belief," the trainer added. "I think I've seen enough in his work to justify that belief. He's been the horse of a lifetime and I have every intention of proving to the world that he is capable of a Grade 1 win.

"The important thing is whether or not his leg is okay and I think we're all right," Osborne added. "We'll take him home and have a regroup and think about what we'll do next but I still believe there's a Grade 1 in him and I'll be doing my utmost to prove it."

Toast Of New York provided one of the main stories of the second running of the Pegasus on both sides of the Atlantic, with Osborne saying it was a fairytale just to get him back to the racetrack after such a long layoff. He returned from 1,130 days off the track to win a conditions race at Lingfield last month, having retired with a tendon injury and spent a season at stud in Qatar.

With places in the $16.3 million Pegasus being sold to 'stakeholders' at $1m a throw, Toast Of New York's owners Al Shaqab cut a deal with original slot holders Randy Hill and Dean Reeves to use their slot; the 'syndicate' receives $650,000 for finishing last.

"It just went horribly wrong," admitted Osborne. "He had to get out of his comfort zone early on just to lay up and he got an awful lot of kickback and realistically he lacked the pace to travel in a nine-furlong race of that nature. Maybe a tad of rustiness played its part as well.

"The other thing potentially one has to think about a little bit is that he's always had clean air in his races and he swallowed a lot of sand tonight, but I'm not saying that's the sole reason. The fundamental is we lacked pace and these horses over here are different gear out of the gate.

Pegasus result

"The winner's a machine and the second horse also put up a phenomenal effort - they were a week in front of the third! We set out there with a plan to win the race and clearly it didn't work but Frankie rode the horse to try and win the race. But having missed the break we were always playing catch-up. In reality, if we'd ridden him to pick the pieces up, maybe he would have finished third or fourth."

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so they say, and Osborne is left hoping for more rewarding sorties elsewhere with Toast Of New York.

"As you know, I adore this horse and I will do everything in my power to win a Grade 1 with him in the next 12 months – and that's anywhere," he said.

"But we've had some fantastic adventures with him so far and he's been a pleasure to train. I'll always be grateful to everyone who's been involved with owning him and this week out here has been superb."

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