Hughie Morrison has all but ruled Quickthorn out of next week’s Ascot Gold Cup, despite admitting he is tempted by the feature race on Ladies Day.

The five-year-old made all the running under a fine ride from Tom Marquand in Sandown’s Henry II Stakes last month, and while Quickthorn was not entered in the Gold Cup, the East Ilsley handler admitted the allure to supplement the Lady Blyth-owned gelding was strong.

However, Morrison revealed that he has not fully recovered from his exertions in defeating Nate The Great by a length and a quarter.

“I think it is very unlikely he will go to the Gold Cup,” said Morrison.

“Tom Pirie, who rides him every day, says he feels like he hasn’t bounced back yet, so we will leave him and wait, and run him in July, August, September, October time.

“He had a hard enough race at Sandown and that was job done, really.

“The Gold Cup can be an absolute killer. My last two runners never really recovered.

“If we’d have been entered, we might have been tempted, but I think it is best we probably weren’t.”