American Affair getting ready for York comeback
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Mon 30 Mar 2026
Jim Goldie is targeting the Dante Festival at York for the return to action of his stable star American Affair.
The six-year-old provided the Scottish trainer with his maiden Group One victory of his career when landing the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot in June before suffering a leg issue.
It was hoped he would return for the Breeders’ Cup or Champions Day, but Goldie confirmed the son of Washington DC is on schedule with his recovery and should line up for the Group Two over six furlongs at York on May 13 now called the Minster Stakes.
“He’s doing fine, hopefully we are on schedule,” he said. “We are being very careful and he is coming very slow to hand.
“He’s been going quite quiet, he hasn’t done any fast work yet. We’re just working him back slowly but he seems grand.
“The recovery is going to schedule. We’ve got access to two very excellent vet colleges in Glasgow and Edinburgh, he’s been bone scanned, had MRI’s and X-rays so it’s going to plan. It will be interesting to see him return higher up the pyramid.
“We’ve pencilled him in for the Minster Stakes. I’d prefer five furlongs, but the choices are kind of limited at five furlongs for him.
“He’s won at York, he’s obviously won over five. It is a good place to start.
“We’ll take it one step at a time, the aim is to go for the same race at Royal Ascot and then if we achieve that we will make a plan after that. That plan worked well last year, hopefully we can do a repeat.”
Goldie has a progressive mare on his hands in Eternal Sunshine, who followed in American Affair’s hoofprints by landing the Portland on St Leger Day at Doncaster last September.
She will tread a similar path to her stablemate when the six-year-old lines up in the Virgin Bet Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh on Easter Saturday, a race which was won by her stable companion 12 months ago.
“She’s doing really well, she’s seems in good order,” Goldie added. “We are probably going for the same race that American Affair won last year, the Musselburgh one.
“It’s probably a bit early in the season, but it is an interesting race. The first and second (Jm Jungle) both ended up winning Group races last year.
“She did remarkable last year and she did mature late on, so whether we can get her back up to that level of form again remains to be seen. We are patient with her, she was improving and she’s quite exciting.
“She’s looking good at the moment, the 7lb claimer (Lauren Young) came of age at the same time and she looks after her at home, and she very much got a tune out of her.”
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