French trip possible for Earlofthecotswolds

Five-time hurdles winner Earlofthecotswolds will make his return to action in a couple of months, as trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies seeks suitable ground.

A revelation since being switched to the Flat, the eight-year-old chalked up three wins on all-weather surfaces in the spring, including the valuable All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle in April.

That prompted an audacious tilt at the Gold Cup at Ascot for the gelded son of Axxos.

However, having helped set the pace, he was headed and weakened from three furlongs out and finished last of the nine runners behind Kyprios.

Twiston-Davies is hoping to bring back Earlofthecotswolds once the ground eases.

He said: “We have been very pleased with him. At Ascot, the ground was too firm.

“We’ll probably look at France next, I don’t know. We’ll look for softer ground out there and are looking at August time for his return, I would suppose.”