Roger Varian

The GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 4 remains under consideration for Amo Racing's G1 QIPCO Champion S. winner  King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}). "He appears to have come out of the race physically in good shape, but he would have had a hard race yesterday and we can't ignore that. We just have to see how he is over the next week," said the colt's trainer Roger Varian.  "I know Kia is very keen on the Breeders' Cup anyway, in general, and if he could get a good...

Ascot is really where it all began for Frankie Dettori and after Saturday's opening salvo of QIPCO Champions Day it looked to have already given that farewell gift, but there was one final blessing to be bestowed on its favourite son as Amo Racing's King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Eldacar {GB}, by Verglas {Ire}) prevailed in the G1 QIPCO Champion S., a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. As deep into the feature 10-furlong contest as the final 100 yards, the glorious sign-off looked unlikely to...

G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will be offered during the Tattersalls December Mare Sale from Dec. 4-7. In foal to Frankel (GB), the 5-year-old daughter of G1 Pretty Polly S. victress Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) is a half-sister to G2 Prix Hocquart hero Al Hilalee (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Teona, from the family of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Total Gallery (Ire) (Namid {GB}) was a 280,000gns purchase out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1. Also third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf,...

High class sprinter Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}--Arcamist {GB}, by Arcano {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud in 2024. A fee will be announced later. A winner of his first four starts before missing by a nose in the G2 Sandy Lane S. in May of 2021 for Roger Varian and owner Yoshiro Kubota, he was first past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup a month later before being disqualified and placed second. The son of the winning Arcamist was also...

Connections of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) can be satisfied that Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger went by without drama, but the glory was with KHK Racing's TDN Rising Star Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--All At Sea {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) as he returned to form to provide his sire with a group 1 double on the Curragh's star-studded card. Putting a largely underwhelming summer behind him, having been seventh in the G1 Gold Cup and fourth in the G1 Goodwood Cup, the 16-5 second favourite enjoyed a perfect...

    Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) became the second new stakes winner for his Darley sire in one day at Haydock Park after the victory of Flight Plan (GB) in the G2 Dullingham Park S. at Leopardstown. A winner of an Ascot novice race on debut in July, the colt was second to Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the Listed Pat Eddery S. there at the end of the month. Content to sit near the tail of the field as Hot Fuss (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) made...

King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) heads the 13 still standing for Saturday's Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on a weekend where the colt's owners Amo Racing could bid for a Group 1 double with Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on course for the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S on Sunday.  Trained by Roger Varian, King Of Steel heads the betting for the Irish Champions Stakes, the showpiece event of the rebranded Irish Champions Festival, and connections of the colt are predicting a bold display.  "It's a...

Last season's Cazoo St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will try and add the Irish equivalent during this year's Irish Champions Festival. "The target for him is to go to the Irish St Leger and that is very much still on the cards at the moment," said Chris Wall, racing manager for owners KHK Racing Ltd. "He's grand and it's all systems go for that." The 4-year-old was originally slated to contest the G3 St Leger trial earlier this month, however, was subsequently declared a non-runner after not...

Derby runner-up King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), last seen when third in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. last month, will skip the Aug. 23 G1 Juddmonte International S. and instead target the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on Sept. 9. "We didn't confirm him today for York," said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners, Amo Racing. "I know when you look at the prize-money and think it could be quite a small field, you might get a bit carried away, but we are going...

Shadwell's Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Hadaatha {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) caused an upset when usurping Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the dying strides of Newcastle's G3 Hoppings S. when last seen and repeated the dose with a game performance for a career high in a stellar renewal of Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood. This year's G2 Dahlia S. runner-up and Listed Rothesay S. victrix was let go at generous odds of 9-1 and broke smartly from the outside stall to find a smooth rhythm in a...

Kevin Stott has billed Saturday's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. as the race of the season so far and backed his mount King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) to exact revenge on his Derby conqueror Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). However, the jockey warned that the Ascot showpiece is far from a two-horse race, and described being a part of such a spectacle as incredibly exciting.  King Of Steel finished just a half a length behind Auguste Rodin at huge odds of 66-1 in the G1...

Lope De Vega (Ire) (Shamardal) and New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will be available to cover on Southern Hemisphere time this year, Ballylinch Stud's Eoin Fives told TTR AusNZ. They will stand for €60,000 (AU$98,957) and €40,000 (AU$65,971) respectively. In total, Lope De Vega has sired 18 Group 1 winners and 112 individual stakes winners across 12 different countries. From 2011 to 2014, he shuttled to the now-defunct Patinack Farm, and left an indelible stamp on the Australian industry. The result was four elite-level winners of nine Group 1s; Santa...