Charlie Appleby's unbeaten three year old Quorto is said to be on the road to recovery after suffering an injury setback that has seen him miss the whole of the season so far but his trainer is already planning for the future and is planning his assault on the 2020 mile division.
The son of Dubawi has raced three times during his career and is currently unbeaten with his best victory coming on his final start at the curragh in the Group One National Stakes beating this year's Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck to take the contest.
The then two year old was ranked as the leading juvenile in Ireland for 2018 after his win in that black type race. Before that race he had already shown his clear potential by winning the Group Two Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
Quorto still holds a huge amount of potential even though he has not been seen this season as a three year old and Charlie Appleby, without rushing, is keen to get him back on track before the end of the 2019 flat season.
(Credit Racing Post) Appleby said: "Quorto is progressing nicely in a training regime that involves a combination of being on the treadmill and been ridden under tack around the place.
"If he continues to go in the right direction we could squeeze one run into him at the back end of the season. He'll probably winter in Dubai again but won't run out there and the long term plan would be to target those nice mile races with him in 2020."
The Newmarket trainer has been known for having some special twe year olds in his time but never more so than this season with the impressive Pinatubo and the more recent Al Suhail who looks set for the Group 3 Betway Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.
Appleby's Derby winner Masar won this race two years ago and is hoping Al Suhail can do the same, he said: "Al Suhail has come out of the Yarmouth race in good shape and we think the track at Sandown will suit him as he's a free-going sort. He's had two runs on straight tracks and now we'll see him around a bend."