JIM Goldie is a regular on the Scottish circuit, indeed he hardly misses a meeting, but he is particularly canny when it comes to valuable handicaps further afield.

He struck with a vengeance in the 59th John Smith’s Cup at York on Saturday as 20/1 shot Euchen Glen made all for Alistair Rawlinson to beat Thundering Blue by just over two lengths, with Kynren and Titus claiming the minor places.

Euchen Glen, a very tough five-year-old by Derby winner Authorized, was carrying a 5lb penalty for winning at Ayr last month, after which he lost out by inches in the Northumberland Plate ‘consolation’ race, the Vase. He has generally been thought of as a hold-up horse but Rawlinson soon pushed him into the lead here and it was a shrewd move.

Five of the first six home were drawn in stalls numbered between one and six, which is hard to ignore and means Another Touch probably did well to make seventh from box 19.

“I thought Euchen Glen was well capable of doing that,” Goldie said. “A mile and two didn’t concern me and when we got a good draw we decided to take our chance and go forward. I never thought they’d catch him. The plan was to get in the Ebor and we’ll probably wait for that now.”

Rawlinson, son and grandson of former jockeys, is 26 and was enjoying his biggest-ever pay-day from a race worth over £124,000 to the winner. “I’ve won the Scottish Sprint Cup twice but that’s my biggest win,” he said. “We didn’t go that quick and when we turned in I gave him a kick in the belly and I knew he’d stay.”

Plans were put on hold however, as the gelding was found to have heat in a leg on Monday. The Scottish trainer said: “He’s got a bit of heat in a leg.

“We’ll scan it this week and will let people know one way or the other, but it was just to let people know he might not be going for the Ebor.”

It turned out that the gelding will be forced to miss the rest of the season.

DYLAN FOR THE EBOR?

Marco Botti’s Dylan Mouth, without a win for over a year, landed the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup under Dane O’Neill. Last of five early on, the 8/1 chance made his ground and got up inside the final furlong, holding Dal Harraild by a neck.

The jockey doubted that Dylan Mouth would stay beyond this mile and three-quarters, making the Ebor over course and distance a preferable target to the Melbourne Cup.

The jockey followed up in the John Smith’s Racing Handicap over a mile on Owen Burrows’ 7/4 favourite Wadilsafa, while Richard Fahey’s Mr Lupton, 5/1, narrowly outpointed Alpha Delphini in the Listed City Walls Stakes.