Roger Varian

Classic heroine Toskana Belle (Fr) (Shamalgan {Fr}), who raced most recently for Andreas Wohler and Australian Bloodstock, has been sold to Shadai Farm and will be trained by Roger Varian going forward, Wohler announced on his website. Bred by Ecurie Normandie Pur Sang, the chestnut was an €40,000 RNA at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. Raced initially by trainer Marian Falk Weissmeier and Stall Piccadilly, the filly won at second asking at Evreux in May before adding the Listed Henkel-Stutenpreis on May 14. Purchased by Australian Bloodstock, she was third...

Group 1 winner Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Alava {Ire}, by Anabaa) has been retired and will stand at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland in 2023. A fee will be announced in due time for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero and a limited number of shares will be available to breeders. Bred by Ballylinch and raced by Teme Valley Racing and Ballylinch in partnership, the Roger Varian-trained bay won the G2 Champagne S. as a juvenile and was also third at Group 1 level in both the Dewhurst S....

One of last term's leading juveniles, Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) took until Saturday to put it all together again as a 3-year-old and chose the big stage to do it on in Ascot's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. He has now punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in November, if connections wish to travel. Anchored in rear early by Tom Marquand after a tardy break, the 33-1 shot who had enjoyed a confidence-boosting success in Sandown's Listed Fortune...

Nurlan Bizakov's 250,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) ran third to Roger Varian-trained stablemate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in last month's G2 Mill Reef S. and continued his progression with a career high in Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly. He had earlier followed up an Aug. 7 debut triumph at Haydock with a narrow defeat at Newmarket in his penultimate start later that month. The eventual winner was sent forward from an early fifth to track the leaders in...

TDN Rising Star Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will be forced to miss Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket after trainer Roger Varian revealed that the G2 Mill Reef S. winner has scoped dirty. Having been supplemented for the seven-furlong feature on Monday, KHK Racing's emerging luminary will now wait until 2023 to test his Classic credentials. "This is of course very frustrating and disappointing and I am very sorry for owners KHK Racing and everyone connected with the horse," Varian posted on Twitter on Thursday. "He will be put...

It has been another banner week for the breeze-up sector, not to mention the burgeoning Bahraini participation in European racing.  Following Classic victories for Cachet (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Eldar Eldarov (GB), more graduates of the two-year-old sales scene lifted one of last weekend's major races in Britain, the G2 Mill Reef Stakes, and also the G3 Stockholm Cup.  Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was imperious in the Mill Reef, and was the standout in a magnificent seven winners on Saturday for Roger Varian, which also included landing a Group...

KHK Racing's 2-year-old twice-raced colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), a promising debut second at Windsor in August, attained 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a wide-margin demolition at Haydock on the first of this month and repeated the dose with another imperious performance in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The 4-5 favourite was alert from the stalls and found a smooth rhythm in a handy third through the early fractions of this black-type bow. Tanking forward to loom large on the bridle...

Classic winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has exited his G1 Cazoo St Leger victory on Sunday "in good form" according to trainer Roger Varian. The lightly raced KHK Racing Ltd. colourbearer could possibly reappear this season in the G2 Long Distance Cup at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day or in the Oct. 23 G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp. "He's in good form, he's come out of the race very well," said Varian. "I wouldn't rule it out [running again]. I have the option of running him again if...

   On a bonanza day for the TDN Rising Stars, KHK Racing Ltd's Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) swooped to conquer in Sunday's feature G1 Cazoo St Leger at Doncaster. Settled in mid-division early by David Egan, the Roger Varian-trained 9-2 joint-second favourite who captured the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot June 15 was delivered wide in the straight to overhaul the 11-8 market-leader New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the supplemented Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) approaching the furlong pole. Staying on strongly to the line, the bay...

Breeze-up king Willie Browne, who sold G1 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa (Ire), G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire) and many more top-notchers, is allowing himself to believe that recent graduate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) could be the real deal after he coasted to an effortless victory at Haydock on Thursday. The 76-year-old bought Sakheer for $65,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales in 2021 before producing the colt to top the Arqana Breeze-up Sale in May of this year. Sakheer was bought by Oliver St Lawrence for...

KHK Racing's once-raced 2-year-old colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), who shaped with a deal of promise when posting a debut second going six furlongs at Windsor last month, was a class above his rivals in Thursday's Auction Finance EBF Novice S. over the same trip at Haydock and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a mightily impressive display of raw power. Swiftly into stride for an early advantage, the 1-2 favourite was untroubled from halfway and extended clear in hand to easily rout Acai (Ire)...

Following a record 2021 season, the Henry Cecil Open Weekend will be held Sept. 17-18 at Newmarket. Each September, racing and equine enthusiasts descend on British racing's headquarters for a behind-the-scenes look at Britain's best-known racing yards. Last year featured several training yards, including George Boughey and Harry Eustace, Charlie Fellowes, James Ferguson, Roger Varian and Simon & Ed Crisford. The highest number of yards opened to the public in 2021, and record crowds raised £60,000 for the event's chosen charity partners. The 2022 Henry Cecil Open Weekend will continue...