Roger Varian

Roger Varian has confirmed that Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will be given the chance to join the select band of fillies to claim the 1,000 Guineas and Coronation S. when she heads to Royal Ascot for her next start. The daughter of Kingman provided the Carlburg Stables handler with his first triumph in the fillies' Classic when coming home strongly in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa earlier this month and Varian has been delighted with how she has responded since her big-race triumph at Newmarket. With no rush to...

King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is set for a spell on the sidelines having been found to be lame after his routine exercise in Newmarket on Tuesday morning. Trained by Roger Varian, King Of Steel enjoyed a productive three-year-old campaign in 2023 when his victories included the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot and the G1 Champion S. at the same course. He also filled the runner-up spot behind Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Derby at Epsom. His connections had held high hopes...

5th-Churchill Downs, $121,125, Msw, 5-10, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.43, fm, 4 lengths. WEST HOLLYWOOD (c, 3, Uncle Mo--White Hot {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) began his career in Roger Varian's yard where he debuted in fourth place over the Polytrack at Kempton Park in early January. Making the switch stateside to Brad Cox, the dark bay with Lasix was a 7-2 shot here. The 3-year-old broke quickly and settled in behind the pacesetter heading into the first turn. Raring to take on the frontrunner, the colt was let loose around the...

City Of Troy (Justify) and Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) head the betting for the G1 Derby after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. Of the 69 set to run in late April, just 41 remain after the latest scratching deadline for the Classic, which will be run at Epsom on Saturday, June 1. A baker's dozen haven been entered by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, anchored by City Of Troy, despite his puzzling ninth-place finish in last Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Last season's G1 Dewhurst S....

Over the last three years Frankel (GB) and Dubawi (Ire) have handed the sires' championship back and forth between each other, and they rule supreme as the two most expensive stallions in the world this year at £350,000. While Darley's Dubawi duly provided the winner of the first British Classic of the season when Notable Speech (GB) became his fourth in that particular race - an achievement that is unrivalled in the post-war era - it was Frankel's Juddmonte friend and rival Kingman (GB) who had the bragging rights on...

Like Saturday's 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) introduced on the all-weather during the winter, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's blueblood Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) arrived late on the scene to emerge triumphant in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas and cause a second weekend surprise in Newmarket's mile Classics. Coming off her debut success at Southwell in late November to finish a staying-on third in the seven-furlong G3 Fred Darling S. at Newbury last month, the Roger Varian-trained daughter of the G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Flower Bowl...

The Roger Varian-trained Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will bid to defy his outsider status when he lines out in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday week. The colt brings smart form to the table with a Listed win in Haydock's Ascendant S. sandwiched between creditable placed efforts behind Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) at Ascot and then on his final start of the year when second to Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the Royal Lodge. A return to the Rowley Mile for the opening...

The winning mare Julia Augusta (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) (lot 15) topped the Tattersalls Online April Sale when selling to Jimmy Chua for 72,000gns on Wednesday during a sale noted for its record clearance of 76%. Offered by Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables, the 5-year-old mare has won twice--once each on turf and the all-weather--and was fourth in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S. at Kempton last Saturday. From the family of Poet's Word (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}), she is out of a half-sister to the dam of GIII Chicago S. winner Abby...

We've been waiting so long for the proper Flat to start that it seems almost criminal to veer straight off to the other side of the world, but there was plenty of interest for breeders from this side at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday morning.  One person who managed to stay awake past 2am to watch the highly impressive last-to-first romp of Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G3 N E Manion Cup was his breeder Henrietta Egan, who is based at Corduff Stud with her husband David.  Now...

The G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot has been put forward as the main objective for King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by his trainer Roger Varian.  Last year's G1 Champion S. hero thrived at the Berkshire venue during his three-year-old campaign, with both of his victories coming at the track. He followed up his brave second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Derby by winning the G2 King Edward VII S. at the royal meeting and, although having to settle for third in the...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features the half-brother to five-time Group 1 winner Palace Pier. 17.30 Newcastle, Mdn, £11,400, 3yo, 7f 14y (AWT) MY CLOUD (IRE) (Blue Point {Ire}) is a notable newcomer for the Roger Varian stable as a half-brother to Kingman's five-times group 1 winner Palace Pier (GB) and last...

18.30 Kempton, £6,800, Mdn, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) George Strawbridge's homebred FRIENDLY SOUL (GB) (Kingman {GB}), one of two nominees from the John and Thady Gosden stable, is a half-sister to six stakes performers headed by elite-level winners We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She was scratched from her intended debut at Lingfield earlier this month, having become distressed in the stalls during the loading process, and faces one dozen rivals here. Opposition includes Roger Varian trainee Lightning Touch...