Connections taking patient approach with Pride Of Arras Connections are willing to play a patient game with Pride Of Arras after a setback curtailed any hope of an early-season appearance. Trained by Ralph Beckett, the son of New Bay landed both the Dante and Great Voltigeur at York last season and was not disgraced when sent to Bahrain in November for the valuable Bahrain International Trophy. He was ruled out of his intended return in the John Porter with a bruised foot and although holding an entry at Epsom on Derby day, Royal Ascot could be the earliest the four-year-old is seen, as his team have their eye on valuable prizes later in the campaign. “He had a bruised foot and he’s still recovering from it, it’s nothing of any long-term significance but we do need to get him over it so at the moment there are no plans at all,” said Patrick Cooper, racing manager to owners David and Vimy Aykroyd. “We’ll just have to wait until it’s out of the way, but the good thing is the back-end of the year was always where his targets would be so hopefully we can get him right soon. “The Hardwicke might be an option for him in the meantime and we could look at that, but there’s nothing immediate and his entry in the Coronation Cup at Epsom will probably come too soon.”
