Setback from Goodwood forces Gstaad to miss Marois Gstaad will miss a potential fourth clash with Bow Echo in the Prix Jacques le Marois at the weekend after picking up an infection following his narrow defeat in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner has come off second best against Bow Echo three times this season, filling the runner-up spot in the 2000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and in a Sussex Stakes for the ages a week and a half ago. O’Brien insisted he would not shirk another clash with George Boughey’s superstar later this summer – but while the latter has the option of heading to Deauville, Gstaad is set to wait for the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp on September 6 after suffering a minor setback. Marois Off the Cards Following Goodwood Setback When asked whether the Marois was a possibility at the Curragh on Sunday, O’Brien said: “I don’t think so. He got galloped into in Goodwood and he got a little bit of an infection in his hind part from it. “We put him on antibiotics and with the antibiotics we put him on usually we’d be able to run him in seven days, but they had to give him an extra strong antibiotic because the cut was deep so it took 14 days, it wouldn’t be out of his system in time. “It will probably be the Moulin now before he runs. That’s probably where he’ll go.” The Ballydoyle handler also provided significant updates on a couple of his Royal Ascot-winning two-year-olds in Great Barrier Reef and Victorious, with the latter potentially out for the rest of the season. Ascot Two-Year-Olds Sidelined by Minor Issues Great Barrier Reef made it three wins from as many starts in the Coventry Stakes in mid-June, while Victorious also completed a hat-trick in a Queen Mary Stakes that has worked out spectacularly well, with runner-up Senorita Bonita and fourth home Pershaada both winning in Group-race company since. “Great Barrier Reef had a spot of ringworm, that’s why he didn’t come here for the Phoenix Stakes (today). It’s gone and it’s dead, but you have to give them a couple of weeks when that happens,” O’Brien added. “With the horse from Goodwood (Richmond Stakes winner Man’s Best Friend) today was coming a bit too quick, so it will be between him and Great Barrier Reef for the Prix Morny we think. “Victorious was a little bit off, so she’ll have a little bit of time off and whether we run her for the rest of the season I’m not sure, but if there’s anything (wrong) we’ll wait with her because she’s travelled and she’s a lot of experience. If we’re not 100 per cent happy with her she’s finished for the season.”
