NATIVE KHAN looked a genuine classic contender as he wriggled his way out of a pocket and readily held the challenge of Measuring Time to win the Group 3 Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.
Confirming the promise he showed when making a winning debut at our July meeting, Native Khan, who started 5-4 favourite, was more than equal to the jump up in class, and Eddie Ahern's only anxious moment came at the two-furlong pole, where he was imprisoned in behind a wall of horses.
However, Ahern has clearly seen plenty of Steve McQueen in the epic war film and performed his own "˜great escape' entering the last furlong, Native Khan quickening two lengths clear before dossing up the hill, enabling Measuring Time to get within half a length at the line.
Ed said"Native Khan was all dressed up with nowhere to go, but thankfully Eddie got out of jail, and the colt has won well in the end in what was a messy race. He'll have a maximum of two more races this season, but we are looking at Group 1's, and, being French-bred, the Grand Criterium at Longchamp would be a major consideration, with both the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster also coming into the equation. He will have learned a lot from that."
Ahern was similarly impressed and said"This is a colt with a big future, and had they gone as fast a pace as they did at Newmarket he would have shown that same turn of foot. It was only his second race and I wanted to teach him something, so I kept away from the outside and once we got through the gap he started to look at the photographers. He is a good horse "" of that there is no doubt."