Cityscape in line for Dubai World Cup return after Ascot showing

Cityscape could run at the 2013 Dubai Duty Free following an admirable run behind Excelebration on Saturday.

Rider James Doyle with Cityscape after winning the 2012 Dubai Duty Free at Meydan racecourse

Cirrus Des Aigles might not be the only defending champion to be aimed at the 2013 Dubai World Cup meeting after Roger Charlton suggested that Cityscape could run once again in the Dubai Duty Free.

Cityscape finished an admirable second to Excelebration in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The two horses put up extraordinary performances on the soft ground, with Excelebration posting two individual sub 12-second furlongs, while Cityscape managed one. Last season on good ground Frankel posted four when winning the same race.

“I’m quite emotional about Cityscape because he is such a good horse with so much talent, I’m proud of him being so consistent,” Charlton said.

“I thought beforehand that this would be his last race and we will talk to Prince Khalid [Abdullah]. He deserves to find a good place at stud and if he was to run again it would be in Dubai in March. He wouldn’t go to Hong Kong or anything this year.”

After winning the Dubai Duty Free, Cityscape ran in Hong Kong and then returned to run in England. He was second to Excelebration in France in the Group One Prix Jacques Le Marois before flying to Woodbine ahead of Saturday’s race.

“We worked out that he travelled 55,000 miles to five different countries this year and he is always there or thereabouts in his races. The winner was really impressive today and has a very good turn of foot.”

Excelebration, who met defeat five times against Frankel, will now head to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita next month.

“He’s been working brilliantly and has an awful lot of class,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “He has been getting heavier and stronger. The Breeders’ Cup was in the owners’ minds before and I suppose that is still likely.”

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and Geoffrey Riddle