Hugo Palmer’s Escobar could head to the French 2000 Guineas after his racecourse gallop at Newmarket
Palmer's three-year-old could now head to the French 2000 Guineas after his gallop on the Rowley Mile under top jockey Frankie Dettori
HUGO PALMER is leaning towards the French 2000 Guineas with Escobar after his racecourse gallop at Newmarket didn't go to plan.
The three-year-old worked over just short of a mile under Frankie Dettori on the Rowley Mile alongside lead horse St Brelades Bay ahead of racing on Wednesday.
However, Palmer revealed that the work didn't go to plan and they went far too slow.
Following the exercise the Listed winner, who was last seen when finishing well held in a Group 3 at the track in September, was left unchanged at 33-1 for the Qipco 2000 Guineas by Coral.
Palmer said: "The instructions weren't followed. They went too slow and only really cantered which was not what I wanted. We are a long way from learning anything at this stage.
"I was too far away but I was screaming them to go faster. They only really did a half-speed bit of work. He pulled up and took it well and had a good blow.
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"Frankie Dettori said the horse felt very well. He suggested we might lean more towards France than here. We will have opportunities to work through the dip again as the watered gallop runs alongside the Rowley Mile.
"The experience will not be lost on him, but I don't think we found answers for the questions we were looking for.
"He disappointed in the Somerville Stakes but there are lots of possible reasons for that. We have not found a definitive reason, but that definitive reason could have been that he didn't handle the dip."