Roger Varian | Horse Racing Free Tips

Grimwade Appointed General Manager At Varian Stable

Newmarket native Kate Grimwade has returned to her home town to take up the role of general manager for Roger Varian's stable.

Grimwade grew up on the National Stud where her father Joe was manager and was later among the original 12 trainees for the inaugural Darley (now Godolphin) Flying Start programme. On the course she met Hanako Sonobe, who later married Varian.

“It's nearly 20 years ago that we started the Flying Start, which seems crazy, but Hanako and all of us from the course have remained very good friends, particularly the girls,” says Grimwade. “Then I did the sales with Roger and Hana last year, and Roger couldn't go to the Breeders' Cup but Hana had a runner and she asked me to go. Things built from there really, and Roger offered me this new role, which is really exciting.”

Grimwade has had international experience in training and pre-training yards. After graduating from the Flying Start she worked as racing manager to Gai Waterhouse in Australia before heading Godolphin's pre-training operation for eight years back in Newmarket. She later returned to Australia to take up the role as assistant trainer to James Cummings.

“My role now is probably what Australian trainers would describe as a racing manager but Roger has a racing manager so I am very much not that,” she says. “I think it's very forward-thinking of Roger to create this role. His [horse] numbers have grown dramatically in the 10 years that he has had a licence so I think he has seen a gap for someone to come in. I'll sit between the assistant trainer and Roger and have an overview of the equine side of the business. Hopefully as time goes on I can take on some of Roger's existing workload to free him up to concentrate on the important things.”

Grimwade adds, “He has a great team already–a very strong team of head lads who each look after a different division of the yard and then obviously he has an assistant and pupil assistant, so there is still that sort of classic structure within the yard.”

Since returning to England from Australia the second time, Grimwade has been employed as a key worker through the pandemic at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

She says, “I've had a year and a half out of racing so I have had a good freshen up. I think it has been really good for me because I grew up in racing and left school at 16 so it's been good to get a bit of perspective. It also makes you feel very grateful for your health.”

Grimwade, who started earlier this week at Varian's Carlburg Stables on Newmarket's Bury Road, situated between the yards of Sir Michael Stoute and John Gosden, adds, “The house I grew up in overlooked the July Course and then when I was working for Godolphin I was on the Rowley Mile, so I am gradually working my way across town. It's really exciting to get to know those gallops really well as the two sides of town are quite different.”

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Varian Provides Update on Epsom Classic Quartet

Trainer Roger Varian has one colt and a trio of fillies pointing to the G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 Cazoo Oaks on June 5 and 4, respectively. However, Varian, who has only had a single Derby starter previously when second with Kingston Hill (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in 2014, is very aware of the unique challenge the Epsom Downs offers to young 3-year-olds.

“I think it's a fascinating Derby,” said Varian, who recently saddled his 1,000th winner. “It looks an open Derby and a very good Derby. There are a lot of different types of horses and for a racing fan it looks fascinating. We are delighted to be involved in it and are concentrating just on our guy.

“The Derby and Oaks are unique. The Epsom test is unique in the whole racing industry globally. We need to get through the next eight or nine days with our contenders without mishap and are very much looking forward to it.”

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has been pleasing Varian in his development ahead of the Blue Riband. Fifth at first asking at Kempton in November, the bay has not tasted defeat since. He found the Nottingham turf to his liking in a 10-furlong maiden race on Apr. 17, and also captured the Listed Novibet Derby Trial S. as a 14-1 outsider at Lingfield in soft going on May 8.

“I really liked how he had trained between Nottingham and Lingfield and thought he'd run a nice race, so I was obviously delighted with the way it panned out and the ability he showed,” said Varian.

“Although there was a tail wind that day in the straight, it was hard work for the horses in front so I thought David [Egan] gave him clever ride by giving him some cover and shelter from the wind early on. What I was really impressed with was not the winning margin or that he was in front two out and had to hold on–it was the ease by which he got into contention. I love when I watch races the visual impression you get and he looked the best horse in the race.

“I think he has the right attitude for the Derby or for any big race. He seems to conserve energy and is not a flashy worker at home, he just does what you ask him to. His recovery from Lingfield was very quick. You don't want to waste energy in the paddock, on the way to the start, behind the gates or in the first two furlongs. He has got the right mind for the job, we've still got to learn if he's got the engine to bring home The Derby.

“He's not a big horse, you'd call him medium at best, but is very well-balanced and has got gate speed. I'm quite confident he is going to get the trip.

Third Realm will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni in the Derby. The pair worked on Wednesday.

Varian added, “He ticks a lot of the boxes that you want going into the race and he gave Andrea a nice feel yesterday in his last serious piece of work going into the race. We are very much looking forward to the day. He has a great mind, a relaxed character and bit of a cool dude, so whatever Epsom throws at him on the day I would be hopeful he can pass that test.

“We are obviously delighted with how he has progressed. We will have to see how many runners there are at Epsom and where we are drawn and what the ground is, but I think he is the kind of horse Andrea can put anywhere and that is comforting coming into a race like The Derby.”

Varian Trio in Good Order For Oaks

Ali Saeed's Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), third last out in the May 12 G3 Tattersalls Musidora S., is one of three G1 Cazoo Oaks prospects for Varian. Second over the all-weather at Newcastle on Oct. 30, she graduated in her second start there stepping up to 10 furlongs on Nov. 19. The Musidora was her 3-year-old bow.

He said, “She is a big, strong, energetic filly and had a lot of fizz on the day at York [in the Musidora]. She got a little upset at the starting gates. She over-raced a little bit off a very steady gallop. She made a nice move in the straight and then probably got tired in the final 100 yards. There were a lot of positives to take from the race, the biggest being able to give her a day out.

“Of course, the Oaks presents a different sort of challenge and a different sort of test, but I think she is extremely talented and I hope that on the day she does not make the juvenile mistakes she made at York.”

Winless in one start at two, Save A Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) progressed to a maiden win two starts later at Wolverhampton over 9 1/2 furlongs on Mar. 27. She doubled down with a handicap win at Windsor on Apr. 19 and was an encouraging second in the Listed Novibet Oaks Trial Fillies' S. at Lingfield on May 8.

“She has taken a giant step forward after each start of her career and I would anticipate another good step forward from Lingfield,” Varian continued. “Even if you look at her Windsor handicap win, I think the second has since won by six or seven lengths so the form looks quite solid.

“She is an interesting filly–she is very laidback at home and doesn't give us any clues or anything away in her homework. But I love any animals, fillies or colts, who take a step forward with each run. The exciting thing about her is that you don't know when she will reach her ceiling. However she runs in the Oaks, I can almost guarantee it will be a good deal better than at Lingfield as that is the pattern of her progress.”

Rounding out Varian's trio is Shadwell's four-for-three listed winner Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}).The homebred rattled off a trio of wins-over the Chelmsford all-weather in August, a Sept. 16 novice at Beverley and she capped her juvenile season with a victory in the Listed Montrose Fillies' S. in heavy going at Newmarket on Halloween. In her season opener at Chester, she was only a length off the winner in second in the Listed Cheshire Oaks on May 5.

Despite Zeyaadah's loss, Varian was unperturbed and said, “I was delighted with her at Chester–the visual impression was very good. I know that Jim [Crowley] got a mighty feel from her as he was buzzing when he got off and we think it was a very good run in defeat.

“I hope she will stay, although she is not guaranteed to on pedigree, being by Tamayuz but middle-distance lines in her family should give her a chance, Her running style also gives her a chance.

“She has a relaxed style of running, is a good-moving filly, well-balanced and can quicken so I would hopeful over a trip. I thought if I had had another 10 days she would have been spot on for Chester but I ran her because of the timeframe and led me to think it was a very good run at Chester. I think there is good deal of improvement there.”

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29 Remain in Cazoo Derby Reckoning

Fifty years on from Mill Reef (Never Bend)'s victory in the Blue Riband at Epsom Downs, 29 horses have stood their ground after the latest scratching stage for the 2021 G1 Cazoo Derby on June 5.

G3 Chester Vase scorer Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is doing well ahead of the Blue Riband. His best showing as a juvenile was a third in the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. and he was fourth in his seasonal opener-the Apr. 13 Listed bet365 Feilden S. at HQ.

Andrew Balding, the son of trainer Ian Balding who trained Mill Reef, said, “The Derby is still the plan for Youth Spirit. He seems fine after his run at Chester, he hasn't done a lot since but he's come out of the race well.

“The key thing to find out that day was whether he stayed the trip and he saw it out well. He'll go there with no stamina doubts, which there will be about some of the field and that's got to be to his advantage but it's a much stronger race than the Chester Vase was so he's got to up his game again.

“I don't think that the track will faze him. He's a very well balanced horse and he handled Chester well so he shouldn't have a problem with Epsom Downs. He's a different horse to [2020 Derby runner-up] Khalifa Sat, but both are very talented and if we can get the same result as last year with Youth Spirit we'd be delighted.

“It's great for the owner [Ahmad Al Shaikh] to have another contender for the race. He's a big supporter of racing and he's got plenty of horses in training with many yards so it's lovely for him to have another candidate for the Epsom Derby.

“It's the most important race of the year for any Flat trainer I think and to have a horse good enough to run in it is an achievement in itself–anything else on the day would be a massive bonus.”

There is, of course, a strong Irish presence in the Derby entries, with 14 horses coming over from the Emerald Isle. Aidan O'Brien, who is seeking a record-extending ninth victory in the 1 1/2-mile Classic, has an octet entered at this stage including current ante-post favourite Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the impressive six-length winner of the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. One-time Derby favourite, G2 Beresford S. victor High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also enters after running third in the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York earlier this month. Others representing the Coolmore partners include French Group 1 winner Van Gogh (American Pharoah) and G3 Chester Vase S. second Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Jim Bolger's Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), the 2020 G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. victor and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial fourth, also stands his ground.

Godolphin currently has a quartet of Derby aspirants, among them the undefeated Dante winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), group winner and Group 1 placed One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the group-placed Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Group 1 winner Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), a winner of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and fifth in the Dante, represents Mark Johnston. Roger Varian fields listed winners El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}, while Richard Hannon will send G3 Betway Solario S. winner Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). Listed Newmarket S. winner Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) steps forward for William Haggas. Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), successful in the G3 Zetland S. last October, is one of two for trainer Martyn Meade.

'TDN Rising Star' John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will also take part in the Epsom Classic. The Ed Dulop trainee broke his maiden at the second time of asking in a Newcastle novice on Apr. 30 and saluted in the Listed Betway Fairway S. at Newmarket on May 15. (Click here for a TDN video feature by Emma Berry).

The next confirmation stage is Monday, May 31st, while there is a final chance to enter with a supplementary fee of £63,750.

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The Weekly Wrap: Trials And Tribulation

Is the Derby picture clearer or murkier after the last week? We probably can't say for sure until after Thursday's Dante S., which may or may not feature Ballydoyle's erstwhile favoured one High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

At the moment, of those currently at 20/1 or shorter in the betting, there's certainly the potential for there to be a good story attached to the winner and, let's face it, the great old race in its first year of Cazoo sponsorship, certainly could do with that.

Who wouldn't love to see the Derby trophy return to Kingsclere 50 years after the great Mill Reef swept from Epsom glory to the Eclipse, the King George & Queen Elizabeth and on to the Arc? Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) hasn't shown himself to be of Mill Reef's calibre yet but he cornered nicely at Chester to land the Vase, seeing out the extended 1m4f well despite his relatively sprint-orientated bottom line. He doesn't look terribly big, but then neither was Mill Reef.

The same can be said for Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who sealed a good week for Roger Varian and his owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid when freewheeling down the hill at Lingfield to overthrow the Godolphin favourite Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}). It was also a good day for Third Realm's dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who is compiling quite the record at stud, with the Lingfield Derby Trial winner becoming her fifth black-type performer. Another of them, Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal), landed a competitive sprint at Haydock on Saturday at the age of seven, having also won last year's G3 Bengough S. for the Varian team.

While Third Realm looks to be on course for Epsom, the trainer's El Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), bought as a yearling for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for 425,000gns, is more likely to head to the Prix du Jockey Club following his win in the listed Dee S. at Chester.

Varian also saddled the runner-up in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, Save A Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), for the Gredley family, but his big market mover for the Cazoo Oaks last week was the twice-raced Teona (Ire), who was last seen winning a Newcastle maiden in November. Despite the margin of that victory being nine lengths, the Ali Saeed-owned filly must be tearing up the gallops to have been cut to around 5/1 for Epsom even before she steps out for her formal trial in Wednesday's Tattersalls Musidora S. Not only does she have the Derby winners Sea The Stars (Ire) and Authorized (Ire) as her sire and broodmare sire respectively, Teona comes from a family which has already brought her trainer Group 1 success. Her dam Ambivalent (Ire) won the G1 Pretty Polly S. as well as being third to Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Following some lacklustre performances by Ballydoyle representatives in various trials, normal order was restored somewhat at Leopardstown on Sunday, where Aidan O'Brien claimed a record 14th victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. Following the route utilised for his first two Derby winners, the trainer opted for the Ballysax S./Derrinstown trial double for Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) and, emulating his sire Galileo (Ire) in victory, the dark brown colt shot into clear Derby favouritism as quickly as he accelerated away from his rivals off the home turn at Leopardstown.

He has every right to be at the head of the market following that imperious display but it's worth remembering that O'Brien's three Derby winners in the last four years have been sent of at odds of 40/1, 13/2 and 25/1, and on each occasion he has had at least six runners in the race. There is, then, arguably a case to be made for Urban Sea's female-line descendant Sir Lamorak (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who could be seen at York on Thursday.

There's almost no getting away from Urban Sea when it comes to the Classics, and fans of inbreeding to superior mares will appreciate the appearance of Galileo and his fellow Derby winner and half-brother Sea The Stars in the pedigree of the facile winner of the Newmarket S., Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), making him inbred 3×3 to the bluest of blue hens. He would also be a poignant, posthumous winner for Sheikh Hamdan.

Thrilling Continuity

One mare quickly propelling herself into that rarefied territory with the help of Urban Sea's son Galileo is You'resothrilling (Storm Cat). The sister to Giant's Causeway was not Urban Sea's equal on the racecourse but she was no slouch, winning the G2 Cherry Hinton S. and G3 Swordlestown Stud Sprint S. as a juvenile. On Sunday, she extended the record of her black-type-winning offspring to seven from seven when Joan Of Arc (Ire) became the latest in the G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial and is now likely to attempt to emulate her sister Marvellous (Ire) by winning the Irish 1000 Guineas.

The 16-year-old You'resothrilling has been mated exclusively with Galileo, but if it ain't broke there's no point trying to fix it. Gleneagles (Ire) followed the mare's first foal, Happily, to become a Classic winner, winning the English and Irish versions of the 2000 Guineas as well as the G1 St James's Palace S. He too has enjoyed a good run of late via his offspring and currently boasts a 33% strike-rate of winners to runners.

Late developer Insinuendo (Ire) landed the G3 Blue Wind S. for Willie McCreery on only her third start on Saturday, while 3-year-old Eaglefield (Ire) made two quick back-to-back appearances at Gowran Park on Wednesday followed by Leopardstown on Sunday, where he held on for the win for the in-form Jim Bolger stable. So far in May, Gleneagles has also been represented by the listed winner Too Soon To Panic (Ire) as well as the smart G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Baby Rider (Fr).

Classic Sires

In the year that Dawn Approach (Ire) moved back to stand at the stud where he was born, he is another former 2000 Guineas winner enjoying something of a purple patch. Of course his own Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire) has been the highlight and was one of seven winners from just 12 runners in Britain for the stallion in the last fortnight. During that same period in Ireland, he has added the listed winner Lunar Space (Ire) to his record, along with 3-year-old maiden winner Texas Moon (Ire) and juvenile scorer Strapped (Ire).

The 2014 Derby winner Australia (GB) has been enjoying a similarly good run. Mare Australis (Ire), Broome (Ire) and Sir Ron Priestley (GB) combined for a group-race treble on the first weekend of May, while Freedom Of Speech (Ire) was another winning 2-year-old from the Bolger stable last week.

Sir Ron Priestley is set to make a swift return at York on Friday and is currently favourite for the G2 Yorkshire Cup. A burly horse who is nevertheless light on his feet, he runs in the trailblazing fashion so typical of those from the Mark Johnston stable and it would be no surprise to see him post some bold opposition to Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), not to mention his own half-brother Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), in the top staying races this season.

Follow The Bear

Kodi Bear (Ire) was a smart miler in his day for Clive Cox and owner Olive Shaw and, now at Rathbarry Stud, he is starting to look a good value option for breeders at his current fee of €6,000. During a particularly fruitful spell he has been responsible for the listed-winning fillies Measure Of Magic (Ire) and Mystery Angel (Ire), while Sienna Bonnie (Ire) and Go Bears Go (Ire) have both been impressive winners from his second crop of juveniles in the past week.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the son of Kodiac (GB) has had some success when crossed with mares by his Rathbarry stud mate Acclamation (GB), and two of his three stakes winners to date are out of mares by Acclamation's sire Royal Applause (GB) and son Dark Angel (Ire).

That Dark Angel cross features in Mystery Angel, who heads to Wednesday's G3 Musidora S., and in A Pint Of Bear (Ire), who won for the third time on Monday.

It was also a notable weekend on the international stage for Germany's leading sire Soldier Hollow (GB). A rare foray to Britain for a German runner ended in victory for the Andreas Wohler-trained Axana (Ger) in the G3 Chartwell Fillies' S. at Lingfield. That same day, another daughter of Soldier Hollow, the 3-year-old Reine d'Amour, took the listed Henkel-Stutepreis at Dusseldorf, while on Sunday the veteran son of In The Wings (GB) featured as the broodmare sire of G1 NHK Mile winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in Japan. The 3-year-old colt is out of Gestut Wittenkindshof's G1 Preis der Diana winner Serienholde (Ger) and was bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm. He joins recent stakes winners Waldkonig (GB) and Wirko (Ger) in being a son of Kingman from a German family replete with class and stamina.

Lanwades Goes Global

Lanwades Stud suffered the loss of Leroidesanimaux (Brz) and Archipenko in 2016 and 2017, but the lingering influence of both stallions has been felt recently, particularly in Australia.

On May 1, Wyclif (GB) (Archipenko) won the listed Port Adelaide Cup and that was followed by a stakes double for Leroidesanimaux down under when Le Don De Vie (GB) won the listed Warrnambool Cup on Thursday and Zaaki claimed the G2 Hollinsdale S. at the Gold Coast on Saturday. All three were bred at Lanwades by Kirsten Rausing.

The breeder has, however, enjoyed black-type success closer to home and in her own colours on consecutive weekends. The G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) got her season off on a positive footing by winning the listed Daisy Warwick Fillies' S. at Goodwood, but she was trumped in some style on Saturday when Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) stormed to a seven-length victory in the listed Buckhounds S. The greys are descendants respectively of the Group 1-winning Alzao full-sisters Albanova (GB) and Alborada (GB).

Albaflora was not the only winner for the family and Rausing on Saturday as her 3-year-old Ralph Beckett stable-mate Aleas (GB) (Archipenko) posted his third consecutive win at Haydock in just four starts, and by a similarly impressive margin.

We Must Do Better

The TDN team in New Jersey will keep us abreast of the saga of the latest failed drug test for a Bob Baffert runner. That it was Medina Spirit (Protonico) in America's biggest race of all, and a result which had provided a first major success for a significant new owner to the sport, not to mention the thrill of a lifetime for the horse's small breeder, only makes this story even sorrier.

Racing is in trouble all around the world, and every trainer, owner and breeder is beholden to maintain the highest standards of welfare at whatever level of the sport at which they participate, even if that means resting a horse rather than reaching for the corticosteroids to perform permitted veterinary procedures. In fact, especially so.

Without the horses, racing is nothing. If we continue to allow situations which appear to show horses being abused in the name of our entertainment, then we will have nothing, and that is all that we deserve.

Clutching at straws in the maelstrom of this latest bad-news incident for racing, the one positive aspect is the loyalty shown by Medina Spirit's owner Amr Zedan to the trainer in the aftermath of Sunday's revelations. He ended his verbal show of support for Baffert with the phlegmatic line, “This, too, shall pass.”

It not only shows a temperament which looks ideally suited to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune which racing can often throw at its participants, but a sense of loyalty which is all too often missing in the sport. Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be misplaced.

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