Investec Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee has been given the option of a Glorious Goodwood outing, with the Qatar Gordon Stakes potentially on his radar on Saturday week.
Speaking from Catterick on Wednesday, Charlie Johnston, son and assistant to Dee Ex Bee's in-form trainer Mark, told sportinglife.com that with fellow three-year-old Mildenberger still not 100 per cent, Dee Ex Bee could be drafted in for the St Leger trial, providing conditions are suitable.
Feilden Stakes winner Mildenberger was a late defector at Royal Ascot last month and remains on the easy list for the time being, and Johnston feels that the Group Three next Saturday could be a realistic option for Dee Ex Bee, who has run in Ireland and France since following home Masar at Epsom, and is set to skip this Saturday's King George at Ascot.
He said: "We've been struggling a little bit with Mildenberger through the summer and it doesn't look like he'll be ready so Dee Ex Bee could be brought into the Goodwood team, especially if there is some rain around by next weekend.
"The Gordon Stakes is a Group Three over a mile and a half and could be a good fit.
"Royal Ascot is obviously huge for us these days but the majority of our season still tends to revolve around Glorious Goodwood and it's always a very special week for us.
"Threading is a possibility for the Group One Nassau Stakes but that's over 10 furlongs and we might aim for the Group Three Celebration Mile instead and stick to that trip for the time being.
"Threading and Dee Ex Bee were both impressive winners first time out at the meeting last year but we might not run that many two-year-old newcomers this time.
"We'll be well represented in the juvenile races, for sure, but they won't be hard to find as we'll go for the maidens with some of the horses who have made promising debuts recently.
"Accordance is one of those after she was second at Doncaster last week. I'd like to think there would be races to be won with her.
"I've also got a spreadsheet with all the handicaps on and we won't be short of runners! Communique will be in the big mile and a quarter handicap and he won quite well at Newmarket from a difficult position, while Juneau is going and she could have more to offer.
"She's tricky enough to ride but Franny (Norton) has been doing a fantastic job with her as she doesn't want to hit the front too soon, but she'll definitely be part of the Goodwood team all being well with her."
The Johnston team stand on the brink of a significant milestone with the trainer fast-approaching Richard Hannon senior's all-time Flat winners record of 4,145.
Johnston junior said: "We reached 4,000 winners towards the end of last year and needed 176 winners from the turn of the year to reach the record - I think today we've had our 154th of 2018 down at Bath so we're getting there gradually.
"It's been talked about a lot in the yard to be honest and I'm just extremely proud of the effort from everyone involved.
"It'll be a fantastic achievement from my mum and dad after they started out with just a handful of horses and I feel very privileged to be where we are now with the magnificent facilities we have and leading owners."