Tag Archive for: Lady Of Spain

Roger Varian looking at exciting autumn with Sandown winners

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Roger Varian saw his patience rewarded, as both Lady Of Spain and Saddadd set themselves up for big events in the autumn in giving the Carlburg Stables handler a big-race double at Sandown.

Lady Of Spain headed to the BetMGM Atalanta Stakes with an unbeaten record to protect, but had defy a lengthy absence in her first outing since claiming Listed glory at Deauville in December.

Sent off at 14-1 for what was also her first outing on turf, she made it five from five with a game display to continue climbing the ladder and bring Group One options into play.

The winner was halved in price to 10-1 for the Sun Chariot Stakes by Paddy Power, but Varian has also half an eye on a step up in trip for the Prix de l’Opera at ParisLongchamp on the same weekend.

Speaking from Deauville, Varian said: “The filly is very good, we’ve always thought that and she could be top class.

“It was a hell of a performance today having not run for nine months and also her first run on turf, so you couldn’t be more proud of the way she won the Atalanta.

“We entered her in the Sun Chariot and the Prix de l’Opera and they were not off the cuff entries, we made them because we have a lot of belief in this filly.

“Time will tell if she is a Group One filly, but she is an unbeaten Group Three winner with only five starts under her belt and we have every reason to believe she will be good.”

Saddadd (right) won well at Sandown
Saddadd (right) won well at Sandown (Steven Paston/PA)

Quickly following on from Lady Of Spain, stablemate Saddadd confirmed the strong impression of his London Gold Cup victory to further advertise his potential in the Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap.

Another whom Varian has been careful to bide his time with, the son of Pinatubo made the most of his opportunity to run in optimum conditions, obliging favourite-backers at 3-1.

“Saddadd is a horse we love and always have done and we’ve had to very patient with him,” added Varian.

“I’d like to thank the owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum who has not put any pressure on us to run him over the summer and I think that race will set him up for a strong autumn.

“He’s won off 100 there today and will get another rise in the weights and deserves to take his chance in Listed company next.

“We’ll probably look at something like the Doonside Cup at Ayr or the Fortune Stakes at Goodwood.”

The man in the saddle on both occasions was Ray Dawson, who enjoyed a welcome return to the spotlight by bagging his first two winners since returning from a fractured wrist.

Dawson said: “I’m in at Roger’s most days and everyone wants to get winners for him and Roger spreads the rides out very fairly. To get a winner on a Saturday and a big day like this means the world.”

Varian might have headed into the day possibly thinking his best chance of a big winner was his Royal Hunt Cup hero My Cloud, who was running in the Barriere Prix Quincey at Deauville looking for a fifth straight win.

However, having hit the front over a furlong out under Silvestre de Sousa he tired in the closing stages to finish fifth behind Dreamliner, on what was his first taste of action since his win at the Royal fixture. Charlie Hills’ Cicero’s Gift was second.

Lady Of Spain victory ‘means the world’ to Ray Dawson

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Roger Varian’s Lady Of Spain overcame a lengthy absence to remain unbeaten in winning an eventful BetMGM Atalanta Stakes at Sandown.

Last seen landing a Listed race on the Deauville all-weather track in December, that was her fourth win from four outings.

This represented another step up in class to Group Three company, but she looked to face a tough ask when Colin Keane brought the progressive Blue Bolt down the centre of the track.

She began to idle close home, though, and the Sandown hill claimed another victim as Lady Of Spain (14-1) stayed on strongly under Ray Dawson to win by half a length.

Ralph Beckett’s Skellet ran a remarkable race in third, having clipped heels early and nearly being brought down before making impressive headway on just her second start of the season.

The winner was halved in price to 10-1 for the Sun Chariot Stakes by Paddy Power.

It was Dawson’s first winner since returning from a fractured wrist and he said: “I don’t have an awful lot to do with her at home, Roger spoke to me this morning and said they really like her.

“Obviously she’s not run for a while, had never been on turf and was encountering soft ground, so there were a lot of questions we asked of her and in fairness she answered all of them.

“She’s handled conditions and the time off the track has been no problem, so she seems a proper filly.”

On the importance of the winner, he added: “I’m in at Roger’s most days and everyone wants to get winners for him and Roger spreads the rides out very fairly. To get a winner on a Saturday and a big day like this means the world.”