3 minute read

Salouen could make his all-weather debut in Saturday's Listed Betway Churchill Stakes at Lingfield.

Sylvester Kirk's charge finished second in the 2016 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and has been highly tried this year, finishing down the field in the Derby and Eclipse before showing improved form when chasing home Eminent in a Deauville Group Two in August.

Salouen also claimed third place in the Prix Dollar at Chantilly but found his latest bid for Pattern glory derailed when heavy rain forced Italian officials to call off the Premio Roma at Capannelle at the start of the month.

Kirk could now pitch the Canford Cliffs colt into Saturday's 10-furlong event, with the winner receiving an automatic place in the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic over the same course and distance on All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday.

He said: "I am seriously thinking about running Salouen at Lingfield on Saturday, although I need to speak to the owner first and have a look at the race.

"He travelled out to Italy for the Premio Roma, which was called off because the track looked like a river, but he is in great form at the moment.

"We decided to give him an entry here because we got him ready for his run in Italy and he is jumping out of his skin.

"We haven't got any plans for him over the winter - he wasn't entered for Hong Kong - and we want to keep him straightforward for a nice four-year-old campaign.

"We could look at the Winter Derby, although that would involve starting him off early next season.

"He should be fine on the all-weather as he trains on it all the time. It's always a worry when they haven't raced on it before, but most horses cope with it fine."

Salouen is one of 16 entries for the race along with the likes of Godolphin's Boynton, Cambridgshire runner-up Sands Chorus and Richard Hannon's Khafoo Shememi.