Interview with Roger Varian

On Monday afternoon, it was a pleasure once again to interview Roger Varian for Ahead On The Flat. Carlburg Stables were responsible for a personal best 140 domestic winners during 2022 including Classic glory courtesy of Eldar Eldarov's victory in the St Leger at Doncaster - it was Roger's second win in the world's oldest Classic. The yard had a spectacular 34,838/1 seven timer in September and amongst those winners was Sakheer's runaway victory in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. The unbeaten son of Zoffany is one of a number of exciting prospects for 2023 for Roger. We ran through in excess of 100 horses during the interview. I will be carrying out more interviews later this week.

The Top 40 Prospects in OJA had it's second winner in three days - that's the first time I have written that this year - when Altobelli ran away with the two miles three novice hurdle at Carlisle on Monday. Harry Fry's five year old had won on his hurdles bow at Ffos Las before Christmas and following a break of nearly two months, he routed the opposition at the Cumbrian track by upwards of 25 lengths. Making all, Bryan Carver's mount never looked like relinquishing his advantage and looks ready for something better before the end of this campaign. A sounder surface is an unknown but the Maxios gelding is a progressive type.