Jan Brueghel stakes Leger claim with gutsy Gordon Stakes win
Jan Brueghel showed his quality to fend off Bellum Justum and maintain his unbeaten record in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.
The son of Galileo went off as the 4-5 favourite and was stoked up by Ryan Moore to ease past Meydaan’s surprise early pacesetting before enduring a two-furlong battle with Andrew Balding’s Bellum Justum.
Meydaan burst into a five-length lead in the early stages of the mile-and-a-half contest, but he was usurped by Aidan O’Brien’s charge a long way from home.
Jan Brueghel hit the front, but he was not alone as Bellum Justum fought for supremacy and the pair were neck and neck inside the final 100 yards.
However, Moore asked for more and Jan Brueghel delivered to win by a neck and secure the Group Three victory, with more looking to be in the tank.
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.”