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Eminent set for mid-season break before autumn targets

Eminent wins the Craven Stakes under Jim Crowley.
Image: Eminent is set for a break before returning later in the year

Martyn Meade remains confident the best is yet to come from Eminent following his slightly underwhelming performance in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

The son of Frankel made a flying start to his three-year-old campaign by landing the Craven Stakes at Newmarket and he was far from disgraced when finishing sixth in the 2000 Guineas and fourth in the Derby at Epsom.

Meade felt the intermediate distance of a mile and a quarter on a more conventional track like Sandown would see Eminent in his best light, but in a messy renewal the youngster pulled fiercely for his head and although he battled his way towards the front in the straight, he eventually faded into fifth place.

Meade said: "He seems all right. He's got a couple of puncture wounds on a hind leg and he's a little bit stiff, but it's nothing very serious and we live to fight another day.

"It was obviously quite a rough race and in hindsight maybe the ground was a little bit too quick for him. He was very keen and didn't really let himself down on the ground.

"Taj Mahal came across them and it ended up a bit of a muddling race, but I think a couple of others were interfered with more than we were and at the end of the day we were beaten.

"I think his immaturity didn't help him either. He's not as mature as the other three-year-olds in the race."

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The Sefton Lodge-based trainer is planning to give his stable star a mid-season break before bringing him back to action later in the campaign.

"He's had quite a hard campaign, so I think we'll give him a break now and hopefully he'll show us what he can really do when the ground eases later in the season," Meade continued.

"I've not made any real plans. I'll just see how he comes along. If he were to have a growth spurt and we felt he needed plenty of time I could leave him until Ascot (Champions Day, October).

"If I felt he wanted another run there is a Group Two at Deauville in August that might be suitable if the ground is right. I've said all along he'll be better next year. I think he'll be a brilliant four-year-old."

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