Shouldvebeenaring will return to France for the Prix Maurice de Gheest after gaining a deserved first Group-race success at Deauville last time out.

Trained by Richard Hannon, the grey has come close on numerous occasions but had a habit of finding one or two too good.

However, in the Group Three Prix de Ris-Orangis last time out he beat James Tate’s promising Electric Storm to book a place at stud at the end of the year.

“He thoroughly deserved his day in the sun as he’d been knocking on the door in all the big races,” said Tim Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing.

“That was a Group Three win and his form entitled him to win.

“We toyed with taking him to Ireland this weekend but we’re going to wait for the Prix Maurice de Gheest and then back to Haydock for the Sprint Cup – they are his two Derbys if you can say that about a sprinter.

“He runs well at both tracks so it just makes sense. At Deauville he’s been fifth in a Prix Jean Prat and obviously won last time and at Haydock he’s been second to Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane and just been touched off by Regional in the Sprint Cup.

“He likes top of the ground so we’ll need a sunny week so hopefully he gets that.

“He retires to the Irish National Stud at the end of the season so we’ll have a couple more cracks at the highest level.”