Flotus heading to the Curragh for Flying Five assignment

Runner-up in the Cheveley Park Stakes last year and third in this season’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Starspangledbanner impressed in taking her first Group race in the Summer Stakes at York last month.

However, things did not go according to plan on her return to the Knavesmire in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes, where she finished over eight lengths adrift of runaway winner Highfield Princess.

Though as short as 14-1 for the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, the Katsumi Yoshida-owned three-year-old will be given another week to recover from her York exertions and skip that in favour of a first run overseas on September 11.

Ed Crisford, who trains alongside father, Simon, said: “She stumbled and got squeezed out of the Nunthorpe at the very beginning.

“They were going quick up front and she was in behind. It was hard for her to get into it, but she has come out of it great and we will head to the Flying Five at the Curragh and give it another crack at a Group One.

“We will bypass Haydock and there is another week in between. A stiff five (furlongs) should suit her very well. York is a very quick five and definitely a stiffer five at the Curragh will suit her better.

“You have plenty of options down the line for her after this.”

Twilight Calls also on course for Curragh

Henry Candy is aiming to beat the clock and get his progressive sprinter Twilight Calls back on track for the Flying Five Stakes.

Having started the season with a stylish victory in a Newmarket handicap, it has been Group races all the way since, returning to Headquarters to finish a close-up fifth in the Palace House Stakes, before picking up silver medals in both the Temple Stakes at Haydock and the King’s Stand Stakes.

The Twilight Son gelding produced a career best to chase home Australian raider Nature Strip in the Royal Ascot Group One, but Candy’s charge has been unable to build on that fine effort in defeat having met with a setback which ruled him out of both Goodwood and the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Despite facing a slight race against time, Candy hopes to have Twilight Calls back fully firing for the trip to Ireland, where he is the 4-1 second-favourite for the five-furlong event with both Paddy Power and Betfair.

“We’re hoping to go to the Flying Five, he’s back in work and it will be a little bit tight, but that is what we would like to do,” said Candy.

On missing out on the big sprints in July and August, he added: “It’s just one of those things. It was just a bit of wear and tear in the fetlock joints that needed a bit of rest.”