TRAINER Jean-Claude Rouget has abandoned plans for last year's European Horse of the Year Almanzor to make his long-awaited return in the Sky Bet Stakes at York later this month.

The Group 2 contest on 29th July had been seen as an ideal preparation for the Group 1 Juddmonte International on 23rd August, but after the four-year-old worked at Clairefontaine racecourse on Saturday, Rouget is now looking towards a comeback at Deauville on 15th August.

Almanzor has not been seen since beating Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Found in the Champion Stakes at Ascot last October, having previously won the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Speaking to Equidia in France, Rouget said: "He has never been particularly demonstrative in his work. But you could see he was rusty and that he didn't finish very fast. He worked as you would expect for a horse that that hasn't done anything since his win at Ascot.

"I really am a long way behind with his preparation. Because of that I am no longer thinking of the end of July for his first run but rather the Prix Gontaut-Biron on 15th August.

"It doesn't change the rest of the programme and he will go to the Irish Champion Stakes and then the Arc."