A winner of the 2021 G1 Gold Cup at Ascot, Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) will point to the 2023 edition without another prep race, trainer Charlie Johnston revealed on Wednesday.
Raced by Dr. Jim Walker, the 6-year-old entire has returned to the races after sustaining a tendon injury later in 2021. Unplaced in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. in Riyadh at the end of February, he was much improved when third in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Mar. 25. He won that Meydan contest in 2021. The G3 Sagaro S. and the G2 Yorkshire Cup later in the spring were under consideration for the Johnston trainee.
“We've had a bit of debate about Sagaros and Yorkshire Cups and things, but the plan now for him, all being well and should we be able to get him there, is to go straight to Ascot,” said Johnston.
“With that in mind he's just swimming and on the water walker at the moment and having an easy couple of weeks before we try to build him back up for the Gold Cup.
“We have a big, black cloud hanging over us every day now since his tendon injury and how long is a piece of string really, we don't know how many bullets are left in the gun for us to fire and with that in mind we don't really want to waste any in races like a Sagaro.
“He's going to be campaigned in the three or four races that we really want to win and, touch wood, he has taken two races in a four-week window quite well.
“But once you've had a tendon injury, that is always something that is hanging over you to some degree and as a result we are only going to go into battle when it matters and the next time that will be, will be the Ascot Gold Cup.”
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