Goldie rules out Breeders’ Cup for American Affair

Jim Goldie has dismissed sending American Affair to the Breeders’ Cup and is contemplating supplementing him for Ascot and the Qatar British Champions Sprint Stakes instead.

The six-year-old son of Washington DC has been in fine form in the second half of this season, winning the King George Stakes at Goodwood and finishing second in the Flying Five at the Curragh last time out.

But after failing to qualify for the automatic invite to Keeneland that he had earned last year with a Royal Ascot win, Goldie has decided the cost of sending American Affair to the two-day jamboree at the end of October is prohibitive.

“To be honest, I read through the small print and Mr (Donald) Trump wants us to pay tariffs and things like that and I just thought ‘no’,” said the Lanarkshire trainer. “It is maybe my misreading of it, but it looks like you have to put a value on your horse and pay a tariff.”

Lexington’s loss could be Berkshire’s gain, though, and although American Affair would have to be supplemented for Ascot, Goldie feels it would be a better use of the money he has earned this season.

“We are debating about Ascot at the moment but that’s six furlongs. He has obviously won at five at Ascot and he has won won at six and has won at seven, but I think Ascot was a lot more doable than going to America and the prize-money is as good at Ascot, so it is a lot less hassle.

“If we are doing that we are going to have to supplement. It is not far off 40 grand (£37,500) to do that but he has won that this year. It is a wee bit pie in the sky but it is more doable than America which is five and a half furlongs around a bend.

“We will see, but if the weather means it looks as though it could be goodish ground at Ascot that would tempt us, but we will keep an eye on the forecasts.”

Goldie has a chance to boost the stable coffers this weekend when he saddles the well-fancied Mountain Road in the £175,000 Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

The seven-year-old was an excellent staying-on second to Small Fry at York over an extended two miles last time out and goes into the race with a good chance of finally landing the marathon for Goldie after several near-misses.

“We were second with La Vecchia Scuola, who was beaten a neck (in 2010 behind Aaim To Prosper), and we’ve had other placed horses as well, but Mountain Road is a good chance to put that right,” said Goldie.

“He is on a career-high mark but I suppose we will find out whether that is his limit on Saturday. He is progressive though and if they had run the York race over another 100 yards we would probably have won.”