ROGER ON FOR YALAWIN
VARIAN’S colt Yalawin looks primed to run a big race in the Sky Bet Windsor Sprint Series Handicap.
It is interesting he has come back to sprinting this year, having finished 2016 over seven furlongs at Kempton, where he looked a likely winner before being headed and flattening out close to home, losing out narrowly.
It was hard not to be taken with the manner of his maiden victory and it will be fascinating to see how he develops as the year goes on. For now he promises to be hard to beat with Varian enjoying a good time of things of late.
Next Train’s Gone can also steam to success in the totetrifecta Handicap at Chelmsford.
The track holds no fears as he got off the mark here last season, as a first try at two miles proved to be to his liking, and he followed up at Kempton last month, taking full advantage of an easy lead.
Trained by James Eustace, the four-year-old has actually only raced six times in his life, so there is scope yet to overcome another rise up the weights, 3lb on this occasion, having defied a 5lb higher mark at Kempton.
Aidan O’Brien continued his dominance of this year’s Classics as Winter completed the 1000 Guineas double in scintillating style at the Curragh.
Twenty-four hours after the brilliant colt Churchill had followed up his victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in the Tattersalls-sponsored Irish equivalent, his stablemate was all the rage to follow suit in the distaff division as 8-13 favourite.
The daughter of Galileo had caused something of an upset when seeing off fellow Ballydoyle inmate Rhododendron in the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile three weeks ago but she proved that was no fluke with a dominant performance in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Hydrangea cut out the early running before the Mick Halfordtrained Rehana was sent on by Pat Smullen, but her effort proved shortlived. Winter loomed ominously alongside racing inside the final three furlongs before scooting clear for a four-andthree-quarter-length success.
Roly Poly and Hydrangea boxed on to finish second and third, making it a one-two-three for O’Brien, who was winning the race for a seventh time.
He said: “I’m delighted with her. She’s not short of pace. You’d imagine she might get a mile and quarter when she gets a mile that strong here at the Curragh but she’s a good traveller.”