Michael Stoute believes Conduit is approaching something like his best form ahead of his bid for glory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.
Last year's St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf hero was beaten a nose into second on his first start of the current campaign at Sandown, before running third behind Sea The Stars and Rip Van Winkle in the Coral-Eclipse.
Worryingly for his weekend rivals, Stoute feels he is a fitter horse now than he was on his latest outing and expects the return to a mile and a half will see him in his best light.
‘We finally won the Leger with Conduit but more importantly he won the Breeders' Cup Turf,’ said Stoute.
‘He won the Leger because he's a relaxed horse and that enabled him to get the trip, but I think a mile and a half is his best distance.
‘He popped a splint in February so we had to back off him and as a result he wasn't going to be ready to run until late May.
‘I felt the only suitable target for him was the Brigadier Gerard and he acquitted himself so well I thought he was entitled to go the Eclipse route.
‘I don't think we've had him at his peak yet this year and I'm hoping he's the sort of horse that comes to his best in the second half of the season.
‘He was definitely not quite there for the Eclipse and I think he's in better shape for Saturday. Whether he is at his full peak, I'm not sure.’
Stoute has a very capable second string to his bow in the shape of Tartan Bearer, who was beaten just half a length in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.
‘He had a long time off after the Irish Derby last year where he had a very bad run, got interfered with and he came back with a bad ringworm infection,’ Stoute continued.
‘I contemplated bringing him back for the Champion Stakes but I decided to leave him alone and, like Conduit, we started him off over a mile and quarter this season as well.
‘He ran so well and I thought rather than go for the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot, we'll go for the more important race - the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
‘He only got beaten half a length but he is now running at his best trip.’
The two Ballymacoll Stud-owned colts are reported to be in fine shape by the master of Freemason Lodge and he admits he is finding it difficult to split the two.
‘The two horses have never done a serious piece of work together. Conduit would not be spectacular at home but a little bit more generous than Tartan Bearer, who leans towards the lazy side,’ the trainer continued.
‘My job is to get them there in the best possible shape and I don't think there is much between the two of them.’
While much of the attention will focus around Conduit and Tartan Bearer, Stoute also intends to run Coronation Cup hero Ask - although he will need cut in the ground to be at the peak of his powers.
‘The more ease in the ground, the more favourable it will be for him. If the ground is safe he'll run and I think it probably will be safe,’ Stoute told At The Races.
‘Pat Fahey (owner) is keen for him to go and it's a logical race to run in after the Coronation Cup.’
Connections of Alwaary are still mulling whether to let the colt try his hand in Group One company for the first time.
The three-year-old passed the post in third in the Princess Of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket last time but was later promoted to second after being badly interfered with at a crucial stage.
Angus Gold, racing manager for owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: ‘There is still no decision whether he is going to run. John Gosden will speak to Sheikh Hamdan and they will make a decision between them.
‘Obviously it's a possibility and I gather everyone is happy with the horse but it just depends on those discussions.’
One horse who will not be lining up is Luca Cumani's Cima De Triomphe.
The Italian trainer warned on Tuesday that the grey was far from a certain starter in the Group One heat and he is now eyeing a target on the other side of the Atlantic.
‘Cima De Triomphe is not running and we will look at the possibility of the Arlington Million. We will see how he is in the next week or so before we make a decision,’ Cumani told the Racing Post.
