Wesley Ward is hoping a mid-season break can relight the fire in his Breeders’ Cup winner Four Wheel Drive.

The American Pharoah colt was unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, completing his hat-trick in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in early November.

Ward was eyeing a potential trip to Royal Ascot with his charge earlier in the year, with the King’s Stand considered a realistic target.

However, that plan was shelved after Four Wheel Drive disappointed on his first start of 2020 at Churchill Downs in mid-May.

Ward said: “He’s not injured. We got him fully checked out after his last run, with scans and blood tests, and he’s absolutely fine.

“For whatever reason he just isn’t showing me what he was showing me last year. I had a chat with the owners and said ‘maybe we should just go the old fashioned way and give him a couple of months out in the field’, and they complied.

“Just a few days ago we put him out in beautiful 15-acre field, he’ll be able to get some sun on his back and in a couple of months we’ll start all over again.

“We know how good he is, we just need to try to get that sizzle back.”