Menuisier sees ground conditions as key to Heartache Tonight

David Menuisier’s Heartache Tonight will seek soft ground as she returns from a brief break at the height of summer.

The three-year-old is an own sister to the stable’s former star Wonderful Tonight, a multiple Group One winner who also ran in the colours of Christopher Wright.

Wright and Andy MacDonald jointly own Heartache Tonight, who won her sole two-year-old start and then kicked off this season with a third-placed run in the Group Three Prix Cleopatre at Chantilly.

A good fourth, beaten only a length and a half, followed in the Group One Prix Saint-Alary, after which she headed to Epsom for the Oaks as a 28-1 shot.

There she ran a gallant race and led for a spell before losing ground two furlongs from home and eventually finishing sixth on ground quicker than ideal.

Connections have given her an easier time since but she is limbering up to run again and has a range of entries on both sides of the Channel.

After incredibly wet weather the ground is drying again, however, and Menuisier will seek cut in the turf when he decides which race to target.

“Heartache Tonight is absolutely fine, she’s had a break and is back in training,” he said.

“She’s entered on Sunday in the Prix Minerve at Deauville, but we’re looking at the weather forecast and I’m not sure if there’s enough rain for the weekend.

“She’s also in on the 19th (of August) in the Prix De Pomone at Deauville and possibly also in the Galtres at York and the Yorkshire Oaks.

“We’re not too sure where she’s going next, where the rains falls in an ideal world!”

Of the Epsom run he added: “She ran really well considering how quick the ground was.

“She had them pretty stretched out at the bottom of the hill and then the ground was just too quick for her to quicken again, but it was a very good display and I was really happy with her.”