Gentleman Joe © Photo Healy Racing
On the mark at Gowran Park yesterday when Thalara came back from 630 days off to score on stable debut in the fillies' maiden, Henry de Bromhead will be dusting off his top hat as Gentleman Joe is set to represent him at Royal Ascot tomorrow.
A winner over hurdles at Clonmel last year, Carmel Acheson's six-year-old returned from a layoff to chase home Ballydoyle's Hans Andersen at Dundalk in April and will be one of six Irish-trained contenders in the Copper Horse Handicap over 1m6f.
Billy Lee takes the mount in Tuesday's finale and de Bromhead said of the Authorized gelding: “He seems in really good form. We thought he wasn't going to get in and we're delighted to see him get in, so we'll see how we go.
“It was a lovely run in Dundalk and we said we'd aim for that. We were hoping to have another run in between but we didn't get one but he's in good form and we're hoping he'll run well.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
