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No Breeders' Cup for Acapulco

Acapulco
Image: Acapulco: Won't run at Keeneland

American trainer Wesley Ward is already looking forward to a return to Royal Ascot with Acapulco after confirming the imposing filly had run her final race of 2015.

The daughter of Scat Daddy was a dominant winner of the Queen Mary Stakes in June and found only Mecca's Angel too strong when stepped up against her elders in the Nunthorpe at York.

He said: "She came home from York very sound - perfect actually - but she won't be going to the Breeders' Cup.

"The juvenile fillies' race is over a mile and I'm not saying she couldn't do it, but after talking to the Coolmore team, I think we're really looking forward to going back to Ascot next year for the King's Stand.

"I think that race over five furlongs will be great for her and the great thing is, as she's only won one race, we can start off at an easier level next year in a conditions race or something like that."

Another esteemed member of the Ward team now enjoying some downtime is Hootenanny, who has not been seen since disappointing in the inaugural Commonwealth Cup.

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"He's spending time out in the field and he can actually watch the racing from there," said Ward.

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"When he came back from Ascot, I just wanted to get a feel of him as he obviously didn't run up to what we expected, so I actually got on him myself.

"He's a horse with big shoulders and I could tell he was feeling them a little when he was going down hills here. I could feel it myself.

"Before we shipped him to Ascot, he went to Arlington and did some pretty hard work on the Polytrack there and I think it jarred him up a little.

"I think he's going through some growing pains as well, so we'll give him some good time off and look to bring him back at the start of 2016.

"I'm hoping we look at the Diamond Jubilee with him at Ascot next year."

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