Hugo Palmer strategizes on next races for promising juveniles Seagulls Eleven and Wolf Of Badenoch after Seagulls Eleven's tongue injury disrupts Solario Stakes plan.
Hugo Palmer is deliberating on how to allocate his top-performing juveniles, Seagulls Eleven and Wolf Of Badenoch, as they gear up for the next phase in their promising careers.
Seagulls Eleven, the son of Galileo Gold, is owned by a group of Brighton and Hove Albion players, a syndicate led by James Milner and including Danny Welbeck.
The young horse was set to participate in the Solario Stakes last Saturday but had to withdraw after lacerating his tongue in the lead-up to the Sandown Group Three event, missing the chance to join Palmer's Aktabantay on the honor roll.
The good news is that Seagulls Eleven is well on the road to recovery and may be fit enough to compete in one of the major two-year-old races slated for next weekend.
"Seagulls Eleven managed to lacerate his tongue four days before he was meant to go for the Solario," Palmer explained.
"At this stage, he could go to the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster or the National Stakes at the Curragh, depending on how quickly his mouth heals and if he can canter away in a bitless bridle. We're fortunate that he has a very good temperament, which allows us to do that—something we definitely couldn't have done with his dad.
If we can get a bit comfortably back in his mouth by early next week, then he could go one way and Wolf Of Badenoch the other."
Wolf Of Badenoch emulated Palmer's 2000 Guineas and Royal Ascot champion Galileo Gold by running in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on his second start, finishing a close second to Charlie Appleby's Aomori City.
The Pinatubo colt had a successful debut at Doncaster before his performance at the Sussex Downs, and that Town Moor run makes Palmer favor the Champagne Stakes for Wolf Of Badenoch. This would then allow Seagulls Eleven to elevate to Group One competition in Ireland the following day.
"Wolf Of Badenoch is in excellent shape, and we're somewhat undecided whether to go to Doncaster or the Curragh," Palmer continued.
"Given that he won his maiden at Doncaster, I'm inclined to favor the Champagne Stakes for him. If that's the case, then we might let Seagulls Eleven step up to Group One in Ireland, provided we're satisfied with his condition. We'll review the confirmations and make a decision."
