Tate retains faith in Royal Aclaim despite Nunthorpe eclipse

James Tate insists Royal Aclaim will come back “bigger and better” after finishing sixth in the Nunthorpe at York last week.

Having previously scored on all three starts, including a visually impressive success in the Listed City Walls over the same five-furlong course and distance, Royal Aclaim was sent off the 5-2 favourite under Andrea Atzeni.

However, the race developed away from the far rail, where she was drawn in stall two, with Highfield Princess powering away for a clear-cut success.

Tate reported the daughter of Aclaim to be in good shape following her five-and-three-quarter-length defeat.

He said: “She is fine. We were probably just caught on the wrong side of the track and the leap – a step up into Group One company, with her inexperience – she was just caught a little bit in the wrong place more than anything.

“I think those two things just caught her out. Watching the replay of the end of the race, Andrea was trying to pull her up and she was still trying to chase the winner. Her wheels were spinning a little bit.”

The Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned Royal Aclaim will be out again in the next few weeks, with her Newmarket handler eyeing a trio of options, all over five furlongs, including a potential first trip aboard to ParisLongchamp.

“There are three races all coming up within a few days of each other,” said Tate.

“There is a Group Three in France on September 11, the Prix Petit Couvert, there is the Group One Flying Five in Ireland (Curragh) on the same day, and there is the Group Three at Newbury a few days later (Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes, September 17), so we will train her for those three races and decide nearer the time to see which one we go for.”

Philosophical in defeat, Tate feels her best days are still to come.

He added: “She has stepped up so much with each performance, we were expecting another step up, but instead we got a bit of a side-step.

“If she had won the Nunthorpe on her fourth start, then she would have been phenomenal, wouldn’t she?

“So, we will have to take this on the chin and come back. I’m sure she will learn from it and come back bigger and better.”