THE owners of exciting two-year-old Lifeplan have turned down big-money bids for the Gimcrack winner.
The unbeaten colt bagged York’s historic Group 2 on just his second start, and he has drawn plenty of admiring glances from some of the sport’s wealthiest owners.
And having provided Malton-based trainer Declan Carroll with the biggest win of his 20-year career, he is now being trained for a crack at the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 27.
The son of Kodi Bear is majority-owned by successful businessman Martin Tedham, and he has so far batted away offers from wealthy foreign owners.
Carroll said: “There has been a lot of interest in him since York as you can imagine but the owners don’t want to sell, they want to keep hold of him.
“I’ve been pleased with him since York, he’s pulled up great we’ll aim him towards the Middle Park. He is very exciting.
“We discussed stepping him up to seven in the Dewhurst, but we will keep him at six furlongs this year. He took plenty of pulling up at York but we’ll step him up in distance as a three-year-old.
“We could just do with the ground slowing up a bit between now and the end of next month. On quick ground races can get away from you going into the dip at Newmarket.”
It is eight years since Carroll lost the very promising Santry to a fatal injury on the gallops in North Yorkshire, just a few days before he was due to go off favourite for the Gimcrack at York.
His patience looks to have paid off, though he wouldn’t compare the two horses.
He said: “Santry was a lovely horse but it couldn’t compare them, you don’t like to compare your kids.
“I thought it was a stiff task going from winning a novice to running in a Group 2, but he is very streetwise. We have always held him in high regard.”
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