Roger Varian retains faith in Pierre Lapin despite Royal Ascot flop

1pt win Jabaara in 2.30 Royal Ascot at 6/1 (General) 0.5pts e.w. Swingalong in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 40/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4) 1pt e.w. HMS President in 3.40 Royal Ascot at 22/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) 1pt win Bridestones in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 33/1 (General) 1pt win Harry Brown in 6.10 Royal Ascot at 16/1 (General) Little Big Bear will be a key…

Six years is a long time to wait for a second success in the Commonwealth Cup when you are Aidan O'Brien and he is certainly due. It was back in 2017 that Caravaggio landed the best ever running of this relatively new contest for Ballydoyle, beating subsequent multiple Group 1 winners Harry Angel and Blue Point, and none of his ten horses to take…

Sakheer: strode away from his opposition in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury Roger Varian does not give much away, but it was impossible to miss the pride he took in saddling seven winners at combined odds of 34838-1 across three meetings, a haul that was headlined by the sparkling Sakheer in the Mill Reef. The Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Group 2…

A Sunday to savour has become a week to remember for Roger Varian, who six days on from bagging the second St Leger of his training career was saddling an incredible 34838-1 across-the-card seven-timer on Saturday afternoon. The sensational Sakheer was the undoubted highlight when plundering Newbury's feature Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes in…

Godolphin and Charlie Appleby started this season with a Classic bang thanks to Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas, but his death in the Moulin last week and Newmarket second Native Trail's underwhelming efforts since may have taken some gloss off of the campaign. However, in St Leger favourite New London, the royal blue operation has a red-hot chance of…

Persian Force pleases favourite backers with a straightforward win in the July Stakes Thursday: Close Brothers July Stakes, Newmarket When comparisons are being made with Canford Cliffs and next season's 2000 Guineas is already being talked about, it is well worth taking note, and winning connections were making all the right noises following…

The Commonwealth Cup has moved on from being racing's new big thing. It is legitimately running with the Classics now as a vital Group 1 for three-year-olds. It has reached the point where it is necessary to write down the stats just to keep up, as in the attached graphic. The seven runnings of the race have already produced 24 wins and 14…

Nature Strip - dynamic, dominant, brilliant, breathtaking. There were not enough superlatives to describe Nature Strip's virtuoso performance on racing's biggest stage to prove he is the world's best sprinter at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. The Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip defeated an elite field to score a famous win in the Group 1 King's Stand…

Via Serendipity strikes the front at Sandown Saturday: Sandown Veteran miler Via Serendipity made a late bid to be part of the action at Royal Ascot next week with a gutsy performance to land the mile handicap under Harry Davies. Via Serendipity is lurking below the cut for the Royal Hunt Cup, but a 5lb penalty for his neck success will shunt him…

Tiber Flow (number 9): game winner under Tom Marquand Saturday: Newbury William Haggas, a big-race winner with the fantastic Baaeed, enjoyed a treble on the card, which started when Jon and Julia Aisbitt's homebred Tiber Flow struck in the Carnarvon Stakes, which had bookmakers trimming him for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next…

Wesley Ward's Norfolk Stakes prize, one of many stolen from his US home Trainer Wesley Ward said his family is "devastated" at the theft of 12 golden Royal Ascot trophy boxes from his home in Versailles, Kentucky on Tuesday morning. Ward has become a major figure at Royal Ascot since landing a juvenile double with Strike The Tiger and Jealous Again…

First run in 2015, the Commonwealth Cup is a Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds over six furlongs. The race is one of the most prestigious early-season destinations for Classic generation horses whose chief asset is raw speed. The unbeaten French raider Suesa is the 4/1 market leader for the race having previously shared favouritism with Wesley…

Flirting Bridge gives chase to Joan Of Arc at Leopardstown last month Henry de Bromhead has conquered Cheltenham, gobbled up the Grand National and now he wants to rule Royal Ascot as Flirting Bridge's new connections have forked out £30000 to supplement her for the Coronation Stakes on Friday. Irish 1000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine has, as…

A horse racing punter incredibly stands to win more than £500000 if Envoi Allen delivers the goods in the Marsh Novices Chase at Cheltenham Festival on Thursday. Paul Dean, who goes by the name @istabraq_king, took to social media on Wednesday to share the remarkable bet after Bob Olinger clinched victory in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at…

Battleground makes light work of his Vintage Stakes rivals at Goodwood There is nothing flashy about Battleground but he is effective and has Aidan O'Brien already thinking of next year's Qipco 2000 Guineas. As short as 7-1 for the Classic, Battleground had the look of his mother and Arc winner, Found, in claiming a third Vintage Stakes for…

Sceptical: Denis Hogan-trained sprinter weak in the July Cup market on Saturday morning The Darley July Cup (3.35) at Newmarket is a rare omission from Frankie Dettori's glittering CV and the star jockey will bid to set the record straight aboard Sceptical, who is weak in the market for the day's feature race at a general 9-2. The leading rider,…

The July Cup will offer a prize purse of £500000 this month with 26 horses racing to win the more than £283000 paid out to the winner of the race. The July Cup is one of the most prestigious and lucrative races in British horse racing. It is also one of the marquee races of the British flat racing schedule. In addition, the race meeting attracts…

Ridden by Adam Kirby and trained by Clive Cox, Nando Parrado strode home to win the Coventry Stakes. The trainer said there was no fluke about the win either Punters were left stunned as 150/1 Nando Parrado won on the final day of Royal Ascot 2020. The sprinter, home in front in the Coventry Stakes, became the longest priced winner in the history…

Friday at Royal Ascot and Roger Varian saddles Pierre Lapin in the Commonwealth Cup (3.35pm), after a 320/1 treble on Thursday. Follow for updates from day four Welcome to our coverage of day four at Royal Ascot. Stradivarius was a stunning winner of the Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday, becoming only the third horse to bag the big race hat-trick. Fresh…

Star sprinter Battaash made it third time lucky as he finally landed the King's Stand Stakes to light up the opening day of Royal Ascot. The six-year-old had finished second in each of the last two renewals of the race but justified odds-on favouritism to land Tuesday's feature for trainer Charlie Hills and jockey Jim Crowley, who rode a brilliant…

Duke Of Hazzard (left) won a Group 2 at Goodwood the last time he was seen Duke Of Hazzard could carve out a special place in Royal Ascot history next week by becoming the first winner at the prestigious meeting to be trained by two people. The progressive four-year-old runs in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday for Paul Cole, who has saddled…

Biometric (pink cap) denies a five-timer for Frankie Dettori on Turgenev (green) Frankie Dettori was famously denied his five-timer at Royal Ascot by Biometric in the Britannia Stakes, and Khalid Abdullah's colt is back for more here. Harry Bentley is again on board Biometric, whose form is not just all about Royal Ascot. He has been beaten only…

Charlie Appleby's speedball successfully defended his King's Stand crown with a tremendous performance to see off old foe Battaash on the opening day of the showpiece meeting. The five-year-old will now bid to become the first horse since Australian raider Choisir in 2003 to win both major sprints in the same week. Appleby saidt: "He's come out of…

LATEST RESULTS, TIPS AND UPDATES: Find out every winner of every race, plus pictures and videos as the drama unfolds on Day 5 Royal Ascot 2018: behind the scenes of a top stables where the Queen's racehorses are trained Brighton-born Ryan Moore clinched a big-race double on the final day of Royal Ascot to leapfrog veteran Frankie Dettori in the…