Future plans are on hold for Nostrum after the exciting colt finished lame when hot favourite for the Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.

Third behind fellow Juddmonte-owned three-year-old Chaldean in the Dewhurst at Newmarket last term, the son of Kingman missed the first part of the current campaign after suffering a setback in the spring.

A spectacular comeback win in a Listed race at Newmarket last month suggested Sir Michael Stoute’s inmate was destined for the top, but he was beaten by Epictetus in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood and trailed home last of six runners in another Group Three on the Knavesmire on Saturday.

Whether Nostrum runs again this season remains to be seen, with connections still trying to discover the exact cause of his disappointing performance.

“He was lame behind on the day and it will be investigated a bit more today and tomorrow,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon on Monday.

“I don’t think it’s anything too sinister from what Sir Michael was saying, he thought it might have been more muscular than anything, but until we check it out we’ll wait and see.

“We won’t know what the plan is until we get all the results back and see what was causing the niggle.

“It was disappointing, but it would be worse if there was no reason for it. The main thing is getting him right as we know the talent is there and the ability is there, it’s just about getting him right.”

A Juddmonte runner who produced a more positive performance at York was Bluestocking, who was beaten just three and a half lengths into fourth place in Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks.

Ralph Beckett’s filly has previously finished third in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot before being narrowly denied by Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks, and her team must now decide whether to lower her sights or line up in another Group One contest on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot.

Mahon added: “I thought she ran a lovely race and she’s a filly that’s probably still a little bit on the weak side when you watch her going round the ring compared to some of the opposition.

“I thought it was noticeable that there’s still a little bit of weakness in her and I think she’s filly that will be better next year, but she’s running to a high level of form.

“A little bit more ease in the ground probably suits her a little better and I’m sure there’ll be good days to be had with her along the way.

“We haven’t really decided where we go next, we need to discuss that with the owners. We touched on it after the race whether we drop in class and win a race this year or she goes to the fillies’ race on Ascot on Champions Day.

“We’ll let her get over York and speak with the owners and then decide in the coming weeks.”

Mahon also provided an update on 2000 Guineas hero Chaldean, who has enjoyed a mid-season break since failing to fire in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in early July.

The Andrew Balding-trained son of Frankel is being readied for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, with a prep run at Newmarket in the pipeline.

“I think Andrew in the back of his head is slightly thinking of the Joel Stakes,” said Mahon.

“He’s back in Kingsclere and cantering away and we sort of said we’d just monitor and see how he goes closer to the time, but Andrew was thinking Joel Stakes and then the QEII.”

The high-class Nostrum bids to get back to winning ways in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.

Sir Michael Stoute’s talented son of Kingman has won three of his five career starts and having missed the first half of his three-year-old campaign through a setback, returned in imperious fashion in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.

However, things did not go to plan at Goodwood in the Thoroughbred Stakes, with Nostrum struggling to pick up with his usual zest in the testing ground and having to settle for a length defeat behind Epictetus.

With conditions set to be much more in the colt’s favour on the Knavesmire, connections are hoping to see their exciting prospect bounce right back to his best in a contest the Freemason Lodge handler has won twice since 2017.

“He’s in good form, obviously it didn’t work out for him the last day but he came out of the race very well,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We think he’ll have come forward for the run and we’re looking forward to getting him back on a better surface and a more conventional track.

“Hopefully we’ll see the Nostrum we saw at Newmarket again.

“We all called it wrong, we thought he’d have liked the ground the last day as he’s a big horse and he bends his knee a bit.

“We were all wrong and Ryan (Moore) just felt that he couldn’t pull himself out of it, it was gluey.

“There was the factor too that he’d been off the track for so long, there may have been a bounce on his second start – we don’t know but he’s training well and we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum finished second in this 12 months ago and will attempt to go one better with El Drama, who was beaten only a neck on his first start for Karl Burke in Haydock’s Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

The Spigot Lodge team are also represented by Flight Plan who has shown glimpses of real ability this term and was a also a runner-up when last sighted.

Jimi Hendrix’s Royal Hunt Cup victory earnt himself a step up to Group Two company for the Summer Mile earlier in the season and he has been given another chance to thrive in Pattern company at a track handler Ralph Beckett believes will suit.

He said: “He’s in good form. I felt it was a little bit too quick for him back after Ascot. In retrospect the Summer Mile was quite hard on him.

“I think the nature of this race will set up well for him. I think the flat track will suit him well, he’s not so good on the undulations.”

Five go to post for this Group Three event with Richard Fahey’s hat-trick-seeking Spirit Dancer and Charlie Johnston’s Ganton Stakes scorer Chichester completing the line-up and both bringing smart course form to the table.

Nostrum created a big impression when making all the running to win the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Kingman colt was one of last season’s leading juveniles, finishing third in the Dewhurst behind subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean – like Nostrum owned by Juddmonte.

Forced to miss the Guineas due to a minor setback, Nostrum was making his seasonal reappearance at Listed level but was still sent off the 11-10 favourite against some promising rivals.

Ryan Moore was happy to make the running, settling beautifully, and just like his sire he produced a smart turn of foot when needed.

Going into the dip, when Moore pressed the button the race was soon over and while the previously unbeaten Embesto gave chase, he was beaten by a comprehensive three lengths.

Stoute said: “It was everything I hoped to see. He had been off for nine months, but he was working very well.

“It looked a competitive field, so we weren’t confident of winning, but we knew he’d run very well.

“But he was most impressive. I was very pleased with him.

“He knocked a hind leg and he needed time to get the infection out and get him right again. The last three weeks we’ve been happy that he’d shown progressive improvement. Ryan liked him.”

Coral halved Stoute’s charge to 6-1 for the Qatar Sussex Stakes, but Stoute said: “I haven’t a clue yet where he will go. He could go a mile and a quarter when we want. We have to see how he comes out of it.

“He will tell us if he could go into Group One company next time, but on today’s evidence, I think he’s ready. I don’t know.

“His two-year-old career was brimfull of promise. Things didn’t quite right for him in the Dewhurst. He’s come here today and won impressively and we can only be very happy, because he is a nice, progressive horse.”

Nostrum will make a belated three-year-old debut at Newmarket on Thursday after recovering from a setback that scuppered his Classic hopes.

Unbeaten in his first two starts as a juvenile, including when impressing in the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket in September, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum was last seen finishing third to fellow Juddmonte runner Chaldean in the Dewhurst Stakes.

Those performances saw Nostrum priced as short as 8-1 for the 2000 Guineas, but the son of Kingman missed out on an early-season return to the Rowley Mile and was similarly ruled out of appearing in the French and Irish equivalents.

He will be a warm order as he lines up against five rivals in a strong renewal of the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.

“He’s in good shape and has been ready there for the past few weeks,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“This is the first opportunity to start him back. He seems in good shape and Michael and his team, and Ryan (Moore) all seem very happy with his work and we’re excited to get him back on track.

“He’s still full of promise and his work at home has been good so hopefully, touch wood, we have a clear run for the rest of the season.”

The Shadwell-owned Mostabshir has run three times this season, latterly when almost eight lengths adrift of subsequent Eclipse hero Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Winner of a Kempton all-weather novice on his sole juvenile outing, Jim Crowley’s mount started his Classic season with a fifth-placed effort in the Craven Stakes, before winning a novice by five lengths under William Buick at York.

Angus Gold, Shadwell’s long-time racing manager, is hopeful the John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Dark Angel will find his optimum level.

“We aimed high early in the year and came back and won very well at York,” said Gold. “He ran fine in the St James’s Palace. We dropped him straight into Group One company and it was always going to be a big ask.

“It will be good to get him back into this sort of company, albeit there are some very good horses and potentially very good horses in there.

“We just need to get on with him. It has been a bit stop-start with him in terms of dropping him straight in the deep end, didn’t work, came back won very well, then back in the deep end. We just need to just find his level.

“This is Listed level and this should be very interesting. It’s a potentially a very high-class race, so it will be very interesting to see how he gets on against them.”

Roger Varian saddles both unbeaten Embesto and New Endeavour, who bids to go one better than when touched off narrowly by Docklands in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot.

In an intriguing affair, Charlie Appleby runs similarly unbeaten Imperial Emperor, who won a maiden on the Rowley Mile in October and followed up on his return on the July course in a novice over this mile course and distance 19 days ago.

The field is completed by Wildfell, who goes up in class and seeks a fifth successive victory for Peter Chapple-Hyam.

Nostrum could return to action in the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes during Newmarket’s July Festival.

Sir Michael Stoute’s talented colt was unbeaten in his first two starts as a juvenile, including when impressing in the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket in September, and was last seen finishing third to fellow Juddmonte-owned 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in the Dewhurst last autumn.

He was likely to return with Classic aspirations in the early part of the season, but any hope of that was scuppered when meeting with a setback in the spring, and having lost the race to be fit in time for a Royal Ascot run, connections are now pencilling in the Listed event Baaeed won in 2021 on July 13 for the Kingman colt’s comeback.

“He’s in good nick and is getting close,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“A loose plan is that he will run in the Henry Cecil at Newmarket’s July Meeting. It’s the one-mile Listed race that Baaeed won a couple of years ago.

“We were probably about two weeks short of being ready for Ascot and Sir Michael said let’s take our time and start off slow. So that looks like the plan as long as everything continues to go OK between now and then.”

Although unable to make an appearance in either the Classics or at Ascot’s summer showpiece, Mahon believes there is plenty to still look forward to and is backing Nostrum to make his mark in the second half of the season.

He continued: “It’s not the be-all and end-all (missing the start of the season). If you are a Group One horse then there are plenty of races in the second half of the season and even next season if he is a Group One horse, he’ll be able to showcase his talent.

“From a commercial point of view, you would love to be there for the Guineas and Ascot etc but I suppose you have to remember that with Chaldean as well, we would probably have been trying to keep them apart anyway.”