National Colour could follow Borderlescott to France?
ROBIN BASTIMAN is still on cloud nine following Borderlescott's victory in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket over National Colour.
The six-year-old has been a model of consistency throughout his career, winning the Stewards' Cup in 2006 and being placed in the last two renewals of the competitive handicap.
However, he took his performance to another level last Friday when registering his first Group-race success and Bastiman is now eyeing a trip to France for his stable star.
"It meant so much to me and a few years ago I wondered if I would ever get a really good horse like this," said Bastiman.
"He is just a great little horse and he has a heart of gold.
"We turned him out in a pen for a couple of days after the race and we just brought him back in this morning and he is jumping and kicking - you wouldn't know he'd had a race.
"He always comes right this time of year and the main plan now is the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp.
"Whether I run him before then I don't know as there isn't much for him and if he was going to go anywhere it may be for a Listed race at Doncaster.
"I have no worries about whether he wins next time or not as he is not a colt so it doesn't make much difference."
Bastiman said in the immediate aftermath of the Group 1 that he would consider retiring from training and hand over to his daughter Rebecca, but he is in no rush to make any firm plans.
"It is something I will think about and I will have to talk to the owners and see what they say - not that there is many of them!" said Bastiman.
"I would still be around the place but would just stay in the background really - there is no rush to make a decision."
Borderlescott's jockey Pat Cosgrave has admitted that the gelding had run way beyond his expectations last Friday and was delighted to have registered a first Group 1 victory.
"They probably went a bit too quick in front and my lad nicked a couple of lengths at the start so I just left him to it," said Cosgrave.
"I always thought he was a Group horse as he had been running in top handicaps with top-weight and he is not a big horse.
"I honestly thought he would be third or fourth in the Nunthorpe but he has proved us all wrong.
"It was great for me and if you don't enjoy those kind of days, you should get out of racing."
Cosgrave too believes a tilt at the Prix de l'Abbaye would be an ideal next step for the horse.
"He seems to go on any ground and I think the horse that was second (National Colour) is also going for the Abbaye too, so hopefully she will give us a nice lead again," Cosgrave told At The Races.
National Colour's jockey Kevin Shea was gracious in defeat, but believes the contest may have had a different outcome had the race being held at York, it's original home prior to the abandonment of the Ebor meeting.
"We had been looking forward to running at York on a flat track and fast ground but the rain ruined that," said Shea.
"I think the hill at Newmarket found us out as she is a real five-furlong filly and the hill made it seem a little bit further.
"We beat all the hotties but we found one too good on the day and the winner is not a bad one either.
"He beat us fair and square in the end but we are taking the defeat in our strides and we're not sad as it was a great run."
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