Not Never in Royal Ascot consideration

Hugo Palmer is to give Royal Ascot serious consideration for Not Never following his runaway victory at Chester on Wednesday.

The Newmarket handler is looking towards running the three-year-old in either the King George V Stakes or the Queen's Vase after he bolted up by five lengths on his seasonal reappearance in a mile-and-a-half handicap on the Roodee.

Palmer said: "I think we have got to be seriously thinking about going to Royal Ascot given the way he won.

"I was delighted with him and he seems to have come out of it well. I would love to see him on better ground, as I keep running him by mistake on bad ground.

"He showed he stays a mile and a half and the jockey (Graham Gibbons) said he would get a at least a mile and three-quarters.

"There are no opportunities to run him over two miles before the Queen's Vase, but that is the same for nearly every horse going for that race.

"The owner bred the horse and with the Queen's Vase being a Listed prize it would be more valuable to them.

"At this stage it is a long way off and we are not leaning towards one race over the other."

Gifted Master is to be sent on a recovery mission to Newmarket next week following his below-par performance at Ascot.

The two-year-old created a big impression on his debut when landing a five-furlong conditions event on the opening day of the Craven meeting.

Things failed to go to plan last time out with the son of Kodiac finishing a well-held fourth behind newcomer Log Out Island in a similar contest at the Berkshire track.

Palmer said: "Gifted Master behaved quite badly at Ascot and since then we have been keeping him busy at home.

"He will run in a novice contest at Newmarket and hopefully we can put his second run down to him still being a bit immature and babyish. This is a recovery mission for him."