'I don't think he's a Group 1 horse over that trip - but he might be here'

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Euchen Glen, one of those horses that just makes you smile to think about him, will be back in action this week ... but not in the race that most people were probably expecting. Thursday brings up the anniversary of his 20-1 shock success in the Brigadier Gerard and he will indeed be making the 400-mile journey back to Sandown, where he has a perfect record, but this time for the marathon Coral Henry II Stakes.

"The 1m2f race looked a bit tasty," Jim Goldie explained to the Front Runner as he left the Knavesmire after racing on Sunday. "So we've switched him into the two-miler.

"We were nearly going to enter him in both and pick the easiest. But we decided, let's have a go at the two-miler and just answer that question."

The tastiness of this year's Brigadier Gerard is explained by the presence in the entries of Addeybb, Mostahdaf and a Sir Michael Stoute improver, Bay Bridge. There's no way to be sure how many of those will turn up but hopefully they won't all skip it, as there are only five other entrants.

Addeybb might wait for the Prix d'Ispahan in France next weekend if the Sandown ground looks a bit lively. That must be a distinct possibility because there's already 'good to firm in places' in the going report and less than 5mm of rain in the forecast.

A dry week could also make things easier for Euchen Glen in the Henry II, as Trueshan is entered, having already missed the Yorkshire Cup in hope of a bit more give somewhere. But Goldie does not sound worried about the prospect of the Gold Cup favourite turning up on Thursday.

"If he did, it would give you a marker where you were. I don't think Euchen Glen is a Group 1 horse, maybe not even a Group 2 horse, in the 1m2f division. But he might be at this trip.

"Stradivarius, I don't think, is quite the horse he was and Trueshan probably needs cut in the ground. It's an interesting division and he could be up there with them."

Jim Goldie on Euchen Glen: 'It's an interesting division – he could be up there with them'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Euchen Glen, versatile enough to have scored at two miles almost five years ago, is officially rated 10lb below Trueshan but the conditions of Thursday's race mean that Trueshan has to give him half a stone, so there shouldn't be much between them. And then there's the Sandown factor, Euchen Glen having won twice there last year.

"I think it's a big factor," Goldie says, "because he comes up that hill well. He's trained up a hill at home. He's good at running up that hill, anyway, and he's won up the Ascot hill at two miles."

Even when he's trying to find his way out of a racecourse car park, Goldie seems to enjoy dipping into Euchen Glen's long career, and why wouldn't you? It's been seven years, 45 races and almost half a million pounds-worth of joy, though there was quite a substantial, tendon-related gap in the middle.

Hold-up-and-pounce-late were the tactics that worked for him last year but back in 2018 he bounced out and made all the running to win the John Smith's Cup, with his year-older brother, Sir Chauvelin, back in tenth. When he made his comeback two years later, it was hardly reasonable to expect that he could be quite as good, but he actually improved to win the Old Borough Cup, the Cumberland Lodge and the St Simon.

Then came last year's Sandown double, as well as close seconds at Glorious Goodwood and at Ayr in Gold Cup week. And it's worth remembering that all his seasons have begun with at least one effort way below his usual standard.

I say that in case you should be worried about his sixth place at Doncaster in March, which would count as one of his worst ever runs, judged by Racing Post Ratings. "I think it was a bit of a strange race," Goldie said at the time.

"I think some of them needed a race and the fittest horse won. He’d been hurdling. They set off far too quick, he chased them and ran out of puff. It was a starting point."

Hopefully, one of the most popular of Flat racers can give his fans something to cheer about on Thursday. "It'll be interesting," says the trainer, who saddled three winners on Saturday. "Trueshan, we've already beaten him with Nicholas T anyway, so we know how to beat him."

Monday's picks

I find four-year-olds interesting in handicap hurdles against older horses, because they get weight for age (6lb just now), which would not be justified in every case. There's always the hope of finding one that's improving rapidly and, thanks to this combination of factors, is thrillingly thrown in.

That's the theory, anyway, and it so happens there's two such horses today for which a case can be made. First up, at Ludlow, is Lindwall (2.00), who won three all-weather handicaps for Sir Mark Prescott last year and was then sold into Donald McCain's yard.

I'm not sure his first three hurdle outings provide a comprehensive insight into his ability. A respiratory issue was reported after the second start but evidently it took until after the third for him to get a wind operation.

The horse then had some time off before a promising reappearance on the Flat at Catterick a fortnight ago. Peter Kavanagh, who has a 20 per cent record for McCain over the last year, takes off 5lb. They're 8-1.

At Huntingdon tonight, there's Fight For It (7.20), who took a huge step forward in landing a Ludlow novice hurdle by eight lengths a fortnight ago. He would have been tricky to assess after that and I think the handicapper has been conservative.

On the other hand, this is a decent contest, so he does need to be ahead of his rating. An 11-4 shot, he comes from the John O'Shea yard that is 4-12 since the start of March.

Richard Birch offers his Monday tips here

Three things to look out for today . . .

1. Now in his second year with a licence, Ed Bethell is hitting form for the first time since early autumn, with three winners from 11 runners in the past fortnight. Those included Exminster rallying to get up at York on Saturday and Rich King also finishing strongly to pinch a verdict at Haydock on Friday. The North Yorkshire trainer sends Emily Post to Wolverhampton for her handicap debut (1.10).

2.Believing will be a short price to get off the mark in a juvenile maiden (2.40) later on the Wolverhampton card, having run a good second at Newmarket just over a week ago. The only horse who could beat Believing that day was Mawj, now second-favourite for the Albany at Royal Ascot next month. Excuses could be made for Believing, who was briefly stopped in her run while the winner had the advantage of the rail, but Mawj pulled almost five lengths clear by the line. Believing was three lengths ahead of everything else. Obviously, Mawj fans will be hoping that Believing can hack up here.

3. In similar vein, Thunder Roar is of interest in a maiden at Leicester (3.20), though he looks like being second-favourite to a Gosden runner. Kevin Ryan's chestnut was beaten only by Hannibal Barca when runner-up on his only outing so far, at Salisbury in late September. Hannibal Barca was fourth in a Group 1 just three weeks later and, having switched trainer, landed the Gallinule on Friday, making him a 20-1 shot for the St James's Palace Stakes. The third, fourth and fifth from the Salisbury race have also won, so Thunder Roar ought to be capable of a strong showing.

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday