Gordon Stakes report and replay: Jan Brueghel stays unbeaten

A winner of his first two starts at the Curragh, the son of Galileo was being pushed along soon after halfway as Meydaan set the early pace and stretched his three rivals out.

However, the 4/5 favourite took his measure with two furlongs out before immediately being pressed by Bellum Justum (11/4) who threw down a determined challenge.

He looked a big danger for a stride or two but, under a left-handed Ryan Moore drive and with the benefit of the far rail, Aidan O'Brien's charge dug deep to fend him off and win by a neck.

Sayedaty Sadaty, who travelled strongly for a long way, was nearly four lengths away third.

Jan Brueghel was conceding three pounds to his rivals and was initially left unchanged at 6/1 for the Betfred St Leger by Betfair and Paddy Power but later cut to 4/1. Sky Bet were more impressed and halved him in price to 7/2 for the Doncaster Classic.

O’Brien said: “He stays very well obviously, but he’s very babyish. Very green. He did an extra lap in the parade ring and Ryan said he was very green going to the start. He said he was delighted when a horse went off in front, but he was very green when he was by himself. He’s a baby, he’s going to improve a lot.

“I’d say time and distance is going to improve him, he’s just a big baby and you can really see it now. I’m delighted, we took him to the Curragh twice and I’m delighted we took him over here. You’d have to be very happy and Ryan was very good on him.

“He led the other two to the leader and then got left there, then all he was doing was looking around and he wasn’t really concentrating because he’s a baby. He still fought when Ryan asked him to, you’d have to be very happy considering that.

“I’d say you’d have to (go straight to the St Leger). It was a bit of a crash-course coming here, he had a lot to learn in a short time. It’s only his third run but I wouldn’t think there’d be time for a run in between.

“He’s a lot heavier today than his last run and that’s unusual, that usually means that he’s maturing a lot. It can mean that they’ve got unfit but he didn’t look lighter, he’s obviously maturing. We also have the horse that won at Royal Ascot – Illinois – for the St Leger and the Irish Derby winner Los Angeles is a possible.”

Moore added: “He’ll get better, still. There is definitely more class in there, we just need to get it out.”

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