The ground will dictate where Lake Forest heads next after a fine run in defeat in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The chestnut was the winner of the Gimcrack as a two-year-old and returned to action this year to head straight to Royal Ascot.

Thrown right in at the deep end in the Group One Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs, the colt held his own under Tom Marquand to finish the runner-up behind Inisherin.

His next port of call was the Hackwood at Newbury last weekend, where he stepped down to Group 3 level but faced the added test of leaving three-year-old company and taking on older horses.

Those older horses included Regional, the reigning Sprint Cup hero and the runner-up of the King Charles III Stakes, and plenty of other seasoned types with group form.

It was Elite Status who came to the fore to claim the win, but Lake Forest was only half a length behind him despite having a good deal of ground to make up in the latter stages.

Several options

There are now several options on the table for the colt, who is trained by William Haggas and jointly owned by Ian McAleavy and Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom.

“We were delighted, we think a flat track and quick ground brings out the best in him,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to Bloom.

“He just got caught in a pocket about two and a half furlongs out, it took him a bit of time to get out of the pocket and the winner had gone.

“He made up a lot of ground in the last furlong, he just needs things to fall right because if he sees too much daylight he’ll run too free so he needs to get cover.

“He’s got plenty of ability and when conditions are good he finishes his races well, he’s been second in a Group 1 and the Hackwood was like a Group 1 in all but name when you see Regional was there – it was a proper group race.

“It’ll come down to ground, we wouldn’t want to go anywhere where the ground will be on the soft side.

“There’ll be five and six-furlong options open for him, he has an entry in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood, he’s got an entry in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, he’s in the Hungerford at Newbury and he’s also in the City of York Stakes over seven furlongs.

“There are lots of options, but I can’t say just yet where he’ll go because it will end up being totally ground dependent.”