One of this season's leading six furlong sprinters Invincible Army is looking to push a side his poor run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and get back to winning ways just a week after his Group One flop.
The four-year-old trained by James Tate was a leading hope for the Group One sprint contest on the Saturday at Royal Ascot, but could not reproduce the form he had showed all season finishing a weak seventh in the 17-runner field.
He started his season off in March at Doncaster winning the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes, comfortably beating some smart horses and looking like a different horse ahead of his new campaign.
He backed up these suspicions when landing the Group Two Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes at York, again seeing off some fair competition and priming him for a big run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
He went off at 7/1 in the market which looked a good price to take for the way he had ran all season but could only finish seventh behind the superstar Blue Point, who landed the Group One King's Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee in the same week.
Trainer James Tate has said that his stable star has come out of the race extremely well and will be entered into the Group 3 Chipchase over six furlongs at Newcastle this weekend.
The trainer added: “He’s come out of it in great order. He was a little bit disappointing obviously – maybe Ascot is not just the place for him.
“He’s back out again on Saturday in the Chipchase. He seems fresh and well, so that’s the plan.”
There are currently 13 entries for the Group Three contest in the north on the weekend and another familiar face in the mix is Mr Lupton who landed a Group Two at the Curragh last time out, so the race is no gimme for Invincible Army.
Another runner for the yard that also disappointed at the Royal meeting was New Graduate - he was sent off as the 11/2 favourite for the Royal Hunt Cup after romping home on his seasonal debut at Ripon but could not back that up at the Berkshire venue.
He will also be turned around quickly and will look to get back to winning ways in the Listed Gettingbet Midsummer Stakes at Windsor.
Tate said: “It was just too soft for him, I think, and Frankie (Dettori) hacked him home.
“He’s in really good form too, so he’s going to go for a Listed race at Windsor on Saturday.
“They were well prepared for Ascot. Things didn’t go their way, so they will both be back out again.”