Reach For The Moon makes his eagerly-awaited return to action at Saint-Cloud on Saturday.
The son of Sea The Stars has always commanded plenty of attention and at one time was the ante-post favourite to win the Derby for the Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year.
A setback meant his Classic aspirations were sidelined, but after being narrowly beaten by My Prospero on his comeback at Sandown, he went to Royal Ascot as an odds-on chance for a hugely popular win in the Hampton Court Stakes.
It was not to be, as his stamina looked to run out over the 10 furlongs, with Claymore proving too strong in the closing stages. Now owned by the King, he is back in action over a mile in Paris for the Group Three Prix Perth, with Robert Havlin in the saddle.
The King’s racing manager, John Warren, is optimistic conditions can play to the strengths of a colt whose form is littered with solid efforts – failing by just a head against Bayside Boy in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last season.