Champion Stakes option open for Euchen Glen

Group One date a possibility for Goldie’s stable star.

Euchen Glen could make an appearance in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot after his impressive performance at Sandown on Friday.

The popular eight-year-old was a three-and-a-quarter-length winner of the Listed Gala Stakes, a race that featured the return of the well-regarded John Leeper, who went off the 5-4 favourite but had to settle for third behind the 11-4 winner.

The victory follows the gelding’s convincing win at odds of 20-1 in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, a Group Three event in which he came home four and a quarter lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

“He’s just an amazing horse,” Goldie said.

“The people that follow him think he’s wonderful because he always comes in at a big price as people assume there’s some young gun that will come and beat him, but it hasn’t really happened yet.”

Goldie had previously considered the horse to be most effective on soft ground, but his Sandown performance came on good going and the trainer is now open-minded as to his next step.

The Champion Stakes in October is under consideration, but the likelihood of soft autumn going inspired that idea and Euchen Glen’s triumph on better conditions may now open more doors.

Euchen Glen rolled back the years at Sandown
Euchen Glen rolled back the years at Sandown (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“He’s nearly as good as you get on soft or heavy ground, and that’s (Ascot) when we’re liable to get it,” he said.

“But he’s not too bad with soft in the title and he’s not too bad even if there’s good in the title – he’s not doing too much wrong either way.

“We may go there (Ascot), but if it’s wet somewhere we might turn up somewhere else, we’ll just make a judgement.

“He’s in good order and he obviously had a good back end of last year, so hopefully he can keep his form to the end of the season.”

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