Euchen Glen: the adrenaline junkie who his trainer thinks is Group 1 class

Fans Favourites' is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Euchen Glen

It isn't often you see a horse consistently posting career-best efforts at the age of eight but that is exactly what has made Euchen Glen one of this season's most beloved performers.

Bred and owned by William Johnstone and trained near Glasgow by Jim Goldie, Euchen Glen was always rated highly – he was from a family the trainer knows well as he has also enjoyed success with his one-year-older brother and ten-time winner Sir Chauvelin – but a particular operation proved key in getting him to showcase his talent.

Goldie explains: "He was a bit of a lad. To use a Fergal Lynch quote ‘he’ll never win a race with a set of balls.'"

Indeed, the horse begun his racing career without that particular piece of equipment and, to regular rider Paul Mulrennan's frustration, won at the fourth attempt under Graham Lee.

According to Goldie, both his pedigree and physique point towards Euchen Glen being something of a late bloomer, which explains his recent rampant march of form.

“He’s a big, athletic horse. I always thought if you were looking for a horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he'd be it. He’s 16.2, beautifully balanced and he’s an Authorized, who sired Tiger Roll. His owner described him as a rat, but I think he’d have to be the best rat I’ve ever seen.

"Montjeu line horses are tough and genuine but they are quirky, I think that’s why they always come back for more because they love the sport, they’re adrenaline junkies. They’re inclined to progress.”

Progress is exactly what Euchen Glen did. Twice a winner at three and three times at four, he was competing successfully off marks in the high 80s.

But, given his breeding (and the mention of Tiger Roll) it would be rude not to ask whether or not a switch to hurdles had ever been considered.

Goldie reveals it has been discussed at various stages of his career but he believes running horses over both codes can be "burning the candle at both ends" something he has learned with other horses, including Euchen Glen's brother.

In truth there would be little need to go hurdling when your horse is mopping up valuable handicaps and in particular the gelding's win under Dutchman Adrie de Vries in the 2017 Shergar Cup Stayers is a race his trainer recalls with a laugh.

"I said to him, 'we’re drawn widest, drop out last and see if you can pass them all'. He said, I'm doing my Dutch accent now, 'what if they don’t go a pace', and I said 'so what are you going to do about it?', he just smiled and said ‘True’. He won easily."

Adrie de Vries partners Euchen Glen to success at the 2017 Shergar CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

In truth, that encounter sums up exactly what Euchen Glen has carved a career out of and what Mulrennan has spent years trying to perfect: the art of relaxing him, often in behind, and then calculating when to pounce to snatch the prize.

It is ironic therefore, and testament to the horse's versatility, that he won the 2018 19-runner John Smith's Cup in a style completely opposite.

Ridden by Ali Rawlinson, Euchen Glen was pushed forward from stall three to take the lead and was never seen by another rival. There were some good ones behind him too, including Thundering Blue and Kynren.

It was after this performance Goldie discovered the gelding had an injury, and he poetically explains: "He had a big hole in his tendon, we don’t know how it happened as he wasn’t lame – having a tendon is like being pregnant, you can’t be a little bit pregnant."

It took 701 days for Euchen Glen to return to the track and last season he proved he was better than ever, winning the Old Borough Cup off 101 and Group 3s at York and Newbury.

Journalistic nous needn't be in great supply when talking to Goldie. He has plenty of interesting and entertaining things to say and his memory serves him so well he can discuss the smallest incidents in great detail.

A particular race which captures his enthusiasm is last year's Cumberland Lodge Stakes, one he nominates as his favourite. It was moved to York and boasted a red-hot favourite in the 2019 St Leger winner Logician, with Euchen Glen sent off an unconsidered 18-1.

The role of the underdog is one he is only too happy to play and you get the indication from the buzz in his voice he receives a special kind of satisfaction in proving people wrong.

Throughout our conversation Goldie repeatedly praises Mulrennan's skill in the saddle and his unique relationship with Euchen Glen and this victory in particular showcased both of those attributes perfectly.

“If you ever want to see the ride of the year, it was that. We were taking on an unbeaten St Leger winner by Frankel. He couldn’t get beat, could he?" he asks.

"We had a plan and we were making it up as we went along in the paddock. There was a 30-40mph side wind and I said to Paul to go forward, get to the front and control it from the bend, coming to the stands' side so we could shelter from the wind. If they wanted to take us on we’d put them in lane two and they’d challenge wider.

“Logician tried to race us for the rail and we beat him across and that was the race over. He had to take a pull and then lost his momentum on soft ground. We made him use him, we planned it. We knew Martin Harley was under pressure.

“It was a remarkable performance but we didn’t get the credit for it, they just said Logician didn’t turn up.”

The performance has been proved no fluke by Euchen Glen's exploits this season. Typically there has been both hits and misses in a busy campaign, but Goldie and Mulrennan are never against trying something new and they have been rewarded in both Listed and Group 3 company at Sandown.

Euchen Glen eases home under Paul Mulrennan in the Listed Gala StakesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

As an eight-year-old Euchen Glen has recorded career-best Racing Post Ratings of 119 in both the Brigadier Gerard and Gala Stakes, his most recent victory prompting many to wonder how he would have faired in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse just 24 hours later.

"They had 2mm of rain in the summer which is nothing and the ground was virtually the same. His time was two seconds faster than the Eclipse and he carried more weight. His last four furlongs were probably far quicker than the Eclipse time. The Eclipse turned into a sprint whereas we dropped in off too fast a pace.

"There will be sections in that race where you can compare him to the best horse in the world but no one wants to do it because you’d devalue the Eclipse.

"If an eight-year-old of Jim Goldie’s is doing better than a Group 1 the day after . . .” he tellingly tails off.

Since our conversation, Euchen Glen came to within a neck of winning at Glorious Goodwood but was then beaten a long way out in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes last weekend.

It may therefore come as a surprise to hear Goldie has top-level aspirations for a horse he has campaigned exclusively at Group 3 and Listed level since he was beaten in the 2018 Goodwood Cup – "He was fifth against Stradivarius but they didn’t go a gallop that day and he didn’t settle so it’s not a true reflection of his form," he explains – as he is entered in the Champion Stakes and, tantalisingly, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

"Euchen Glen is an eight-year-old and we’re still debating how good he is," Goldie states.

"We’re not even sure how versatile he is. Folk would think I’m daft but in soft, heavy ground over a mile I think he’d be a player [in the QEII], we think he’s possibly a Group 1 horse at some level."

The trainer clearly holds his horse in extremely high regard and with his record there is little concern about whether or not he can get him back to his best.

He adds: “His ability to handle soft, heavy, dead ground, he seems as good as there is on that ground. The only one who could be as good is Trueshan. If we got a true-run race every time, we’d run to 116-120 every time.”

'He's a legend'

From speaking to Goldie you get the impression Euchen Glen is as popular at home as he is on the racecourse.

As an eight-year-old, he has settled into the training routine and is not the young troublemaker he once was.

Jonathan Currie aboard Euchen Glen at home with Jim Goldie standing byCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He says: "Jonathan Currie rides him out every day, he’s an ex-jockey who was an apprentice with us. He’s been a huge part of his career. Jenny Burns takes him racing.

"He’s a legend, he’s so easy to do. He travels brilliantly. As the years went on he’s got better and better, admittedly we’re getting better at travelling from a to b as stress-free."

Goldie has become particularly skilled at transporting horses around Britain from his Uplawmoor base, putting his experience to use.

"At Goodwood we’ll go down through the night and give him a day to recover. You could be 11-12 hours in the day whereas at night it will be 9-10," he says.

"If you look at our record at Goodwood and Ascot it’s probably better than at Ayr!"

Read more from our Fans' Favourites series:

Canford Cliffs: 'He was one of the best racehorses in the last 50 years'

Taghrooda: 'She turned towards the stands and everyone was going absolutely mad'

Kingman: 'There are some in the camp who think he'd have beaten Frankel'

Brando: 'Kevin always maintained he was going to turn into a right beast'

Tropics: 'I saw something that day I hadn't seen much – he worked like a train'

Sole Power: 'He wasn't your normal horse – he was more box office than that'

Accidental Agent: the outsider who took on and beat racing elite at Royal Ascot

Duke Of Firenze: a white knuckle-ride with plenty of dash

Lord Glitters: the 'phenomenal' horse who likes to get into a bit of trouble

Kingsgate Native: 'We jumped in the pool and ordered some champagne'

Laurens: the gritty northern lass who blossomed into a Classic winner

Cockney Rebel: the dual Guineas winner who proved a life-changer

The Weekender is out every Wednesday and is available at all good stores. You can also download the edition from 9pm on Tuesday evening