Jim Goldie remains keen on a tilt at the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot with his star sprinter American Affair.

The five-year-old saw his rapid improvement briefly come to a halt in Haydock’s Temple Stakes when he finished fifth behind Ed Walker’s mare Mgheera.

However, Goldie believes a lack of early cover which forced him to run too keen, and then meeting trouble in running when he eventually did get in behind horses are enough of an excuse to believe he could have made up the two and three-quarter lengths that he was beaten.

“He’s still on target for Ascot,” said Goldie. “I think we needed a bit of cover and we didn’t get it straight away, and then when he did get it he (Paul Mulrennan) couldn’t get out when he needed to.

“He’s one of these horses, we discovered when he won

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