Owen Burrows is eyeing a possible tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Gethin providing he comes good at Kempton this Saturday.
The 12-furlong William Hill September Stakes comes with added interest this term as Constitution Hill is set to run in the Group 3 under Billy Loughnane, but Burrows is focused on his horse, who was bought by Wathnan before the start of the 2026 season and duly delivered on his debut in the new silks at Kempton back in April.
A neck second to Ombudsman followed in Sandown's Brigadier Gerard Stakes but the four-year-old Gethin now needs to bounce back from a lesser effort when a well-held fifth on quicker ground in the Coral-Eclipse last time out on July 4.
Burrows is looking forward to Saturday's race and told Sky Sports Racing: "He's in good shape, Callum (Rodriguez) had a sit on him last Wednesday because we thought James (Doyle, Wathnan's principal jockey) would be up at Haydock for the Sprint Cup, and he was very happy with him.
"It's been a bit frustrating as we've had to sit on him (and wait) through the hot months but knew we had no issues thinking about weather for this race, so I'm looking forward to getting him back out.
"Callum is jocked up as James is down for the Sprint Cup. If that changes, it would change but Callum was obviously the natural choice if James wasn't available, so we're looking forward to it."
Reflecting on the Eclipse effort and subsequent wellbeing of his horse, the trainer said: "He was fine afterwards. If you look at the sectionals, it was pretty hard for the first four furlongs - quickish ground as well, his second run on it, hence why we didn't want to go again on it. But he was grand.
"He (Constitution Hill) brings a nice dimension to the race and I'm sure it'll add plenty to the money on the gate, but like any trainer I just want to beat all the opposition and if he's in it then he's included in that. It'll be interesting, I'm hopeful."
In terms of a trip to Longchamp in early-October, for which Gethin is 33/1 with Sky Bet and Paddy Power and as big as 50s with bet365, the plan would appear to be in place if this weekend's stepping-stone delivers a favourable outcome.
"Wathnan bought him with an Arc in mind and if it went well then I dare say it would be his next step," said Burrows.
More from Sporting Life
- Free bets
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.al
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
