Listen to the article
Study Of Man is to drop back in distance when he runs in the Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte next month. The Pascal Bary-trained four-year-old has not entered the winners’ circle since his victory in last year’s French Derby at Chantilly – a victory that remains his career highlight.
Related: Holder Glowing Praise For Hope
A dip in form followed that victory, but he has shown signs that he is returning to his best this season as he has finished second on his two starts to date, in the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan. lan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos family, has now revealed that the plan for Study Of Man is to drop him back in trip for his next run in the Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte, as it is believed that will give him the best opportunity of returning to winning ways.
“I think he could be coming back to his best – the feeling from Pascal and (jockey) Stephane Pasquier is that he’s improving with age,” Cooper was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “They’ve been very pleased with his runs so far this season, so if all goes well we are planning to drop him back to a mile. That will be his first start over that distance since he was a two-year-old.”
