Glen Shiel ‘bang on course’ for Maurice de Gheest

Nick Robson
July 19, 2021 2:38 pm

Watson sprinter will head to Deauville next month.

Glen Shiel is heading to Deauville next for a crack at the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Archie Watson’s durable seven-year-old proved he does not need the mud to help him mix it with the best when he was beaten only a little over two lengths by Starman in a fast-ground July Cup.

History would suggest the ground will be softer at Deauville for the Group One on August 8 – but even if the sun shines, Glen Shiel’s connections will head to France full of hope.

“It was a terrific run – we were over the moon,” said Simon Turner, of owner Hambleton Racing Syndicate, on the sixth-placed finish at Newmarket.

“Archie was always confident he’d be effective on quicker ground, and he was proven to be spot on.

“It was a super run – and while we felt he loves soft ground, being marooned on his own probably wasn’t totally ideal, (so) in a race of fine margins he could maybe have been a fraction closer.

“He’s bang on course for the Maurice de Gheest now, and we’re looking forward to running him there and excited about his targets later in the year.

“Six and a half furlongs should be ideal, because he’s such a strong-staying sprinter. It should suit him really well, and hopefully we can go there with confidence whatever the ground is.”