Kildare jockey David Egan won the first four races at Newbury today, three of which came for trainer Roger Varian.
Varian's exciting Sakheer confirmed the promise of his clear-cut Haydock success with a bloodless victory in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.
Defeated only by inexperience on debut, he built on that first appearance on Merseyside last month before taking the step up to Group Two level with aplomb on just his third start at the Berkshire venue.
Always well positioned tracking the early leader Shouldvebeenaring, the result was elementary once Egan showed the son of Zoffany some daylight and pushed the button for home.
The 4-5 favourite scorched clear to return an emphatic three-and-a-half-length verdict at the line, with the victory bringing up a four-timer on the day for Egan. For Varian it was his sixth winner of a stand-out afternoon up and down the UK.
Only six days after the trainer/jockey combination landed the St Leger for Sakheer’s owners KHK Racing Ltd, they could have another Classic contender on their hands, with Coral going 10-1 from 33-1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
Varian said: "His work has always been very good, we thought he would win first time but he ran into a smart filly (Magical Sunset) at Windsor.
"He then won well at Haydock and he looks good. How good, I don’t know, but he is possibly the best of my two-year-olds.
"He has size and scope, he’s very exciting and I think he’ll stay seven furlongs or a mile."
He added: "You can never really expect things to go as well for us as it has today, but everything is clicking."
"He in the Middle Park, but it’s next week, very soon. We’ll have to see. He would need supplementing for the Dewhurst, but I think those two races are probably the ones on the table."
Varian's Exoplanet had earlier made a winning debut at the course in the hands of Egan.
The duo combined to win the St Leger less than a week ago and Egan did everything right once again aboard the 260,000 guineas son of Sea The Stars.
Sent off the well-backed 5-2 favourite for the Racing TV EBF Novice Stakes, his stamina reserves came to the fore in the closing stages as he kept on strongly and had too much for runner-up Bussento.
The victory was much more comfortable than the winning margin would suggest and there is likely more to come from this smart Sheikh Mohammed Obai-owned colt who holds an entry in next year's Derby.
Mitbaahy regained the winning thread for Varian and Egan in the Group Three Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes.
Progressive in the early part of the season when winning at both Hamilton and Sandown's Scurry Stakes, he was somewhat unfortunate to not bring up a hat-trick when beaten a neck in the Coral Charge at the Esher venue.
Nothing went right for the son of Profitable at Goodwood when tried in the Group Two King George Stakes on his most recent start, but his handler was keen to draw a line through that outing prior to this five-furlong event and was proved right as the three-year-old burst back to his very best at the Berkshire track.
Always travelling smoothly in the hands of Egan behind the hot pace set by Look Out Louis, the 9-2 chance ran on strongly to hunt down Irish raider Teresa Mendoza in the closing stages.
The likeable colt was shortened into 33-1 from 50-1 with both Paddy Power and Betfair for the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on October 15.
Varian said: "He was unlucky at Sandown and didn’t fire at Goodwood. You can put a line through that. Otherwise he’s been very progressive."
On future plans, Varian added: "He’s a very good sprinter. He’s in the Abbaye and the Champions Sprint and could head for one of them."
Egan had four winners in all as he also steered Hughie Morrison's Stay Alert to the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes.
Held up in the early stages of the 11-furlong contest, the daughter of Fastnet Rock was always travelling best when the race developed and would have been classed as an unlucky loser if the gaps had failed to materialise.
However, Egan plotted a successful course in the closing stages and used the filly’s turn of foot to expert effect to seal what was a somewhat cosy success.
Well-backed into 5-1 before the off, she was shortened to 14-1 from 20-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot next month, while Coral went further and offered odds of 8-1 for the three-year-old to strike on Qipco British Champions Day.
It was Saturday to remember for Varian, who saddled an incredible 34,838-1 across-the-card seven-timer, with three wins at Ayr.
Up at Ayr, Royal Champion was finally fulfilling his handler's belief with a clinical display in the Listed Doonside Cup – a meeting at which he was also on the scoresheet with the Sheikh Obaid-owned Aimeric.
Durable handicapper Dusky Lord also made light work of the Silver Cup at Ayr to land the big sprint success he had threatened since scoring at Newmarket back in May.
Al Husn also won the Turners Fillies' Handicap at Newmarket.
