Royal Ascot hero Permian on course for crack at York’s Juddmonte International Stakes in August
Trainer Mark Johnston's King Edward VII winner being aimed at big York Group 1 after his impressive win at the Royal meeting last week
PERMIAN is expected to stay close to home for his next start with trainer Mark Johnston earmarking the Juddmonte International.
The three-year-old made up for a disappointing effort in the Derby when landing the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.
Now Yorkshire-based Johnston would like to drop him in trip for his next outing.
The trainer is well known for turning his horses out quickly, but he reckons the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on July 8 is likely to come too soon for the Teofilo colt.
Johnston is favouring the shorter Juddmonte International over the mile-and-a-half King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 19.
Johnston said: "He's in the Eclipse a week on Saturday, but that will almost certainly come too quick for him.
"He's in the Juddmonte and the King George and I'd be interested in running him over a stiff mile and a quarter at York."
Permian was one of two winners for Johnston at the showpiece meeting, with Oriental Fox winning the Queen Alexandra Stakes for the second time.
He also had a number of horses perform well in defeat, perhaps most notably Nyaleti.
The two-year-old turned out just six days after making a winning debut at Salisbury in the Chesham Stakes and ran a fantastic race to fill the runner-up spot behind 1,000 Guineas favourite September.
Johnston said: "The phone hasn't stopped with people wanting to buy her.
"We were really pleased with her, but that seven furlongs might have been too far so we might go back to six for the Cherry Hinton at Newmarket on July 14."