Bucanero Fuerte thriving since Naas return

Adrian Murray’s Fuerte is set for more sprint action after his Naas comeback victory.

The Wootton Bassett colt – who was one of the best around as a two-year-old, winning the Grade One Phoenix Stakes – returned to action at the Kildare track earlier in the month, contesting the Sole Power Sprint over five furlongs at Listed level.

Under David Egan, owner Amo Racing’s retained jockey, the four-year-old was triumphant by a length and three-quarters to get his campaign off to a perfect start.

He won at the same meeting last term in the six-furlong Lacken Stakes, but it was to be his only success as a three-year-old as the Group One-winning form of his juvenile career did not reappear.

He did all that was required of him to return to winning ways at Naas, however, and the Midsummer Sprint Stakes at Cork may be his next target though loftier aims at Royal Ascot are not dismissed entirely.

“He’s great after the race, he’s come out of it absolutely bouncing,” said Murray.

“We’re not sure exactly where he’ll go next, there’s a race at Cork in a few weeks and he could end up there.

“We’ve no real decisions made for him, we really needed to get the last run into him first to see where we were with him.

“We haven’t got him in at Ascot yet, but we’re not ruling it out.”