bet365 Mile |
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| Group 2, Sandown 15:00 £80,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1  |
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1 Charyn 9/4F
2 Poker Face 9/2
3 Lord North 100/30
6 ran NR: Flight Plan Distances: 1¼l, nk, 2¾l
Time: 1m 45.17s (slow by 4.07s)
A smart performance! Silvestre De Sousa brings Charyn with a late lunge to win the Bet365 Mile for @varianstable from Poker Face and Lord North pic.twitter.com/ip9R8YToIN
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) April 26, 2024
Charyn, trained by Roger Varian, lived up to expectations by delivering a powerful performance at Sandown.
Following his impressive reappearance win at Doncaster, Varian selected this Group Two race for Charyn. The horse had previously competed at a high level during the last season, and now a return to top-grade races seems likely. Quinnbet has adjusted Charyn’s odds to 9-2 (from 10-1) for the upcoming Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Despite a slow start and being positioned at the back of the pack, jockey Silvestre de Sousa gradually accelerated Charyn. Three furlongs from the finish line, victory appeared distant. However, as the race unfolded, Charyn surged down the center of the track, overtaking rivals. The veteran Lord North also made progress, while Nostrum proved challenging for jockey Ryan Moore. Ultimately, Charyn’s withering run secured a thrilling victory, beating Poker Face by a length and a quarter.
“He was slow from the gates, so Silvestre had no option but to drop in, but the horse came home very strong didn’t he, he’s a fighter and he’s a good horse,” said Varian.
“He was a good winner on the line and although it took him a while to get there and get on top, it’s a tough track and the ground is holding and it’s hard work. He’s finished strong and we’re very pleased.
“He’s always been a genuine horse and looking back to last year, although he didn’t win, he contested the biggest races and wasn’t disgraced. He looks to have stepped up a level this year and hopefully he can continue.
“This horse is so laid-back, he works nicely at home but he’s never flashy and he never streaks three or four lengths clear in a gallop, that’s not the type of horse he is.
“He carries a lot of condition and I always think he needs a run, but he’s got a great constitution and he’s finding plenty on the track. Hopefully he continues to do so and he will have tougher tasks ahead now, but he’s doing well and we’re very pleased.
“He chased home Paddington three times (last year). He was fourth in the Irish Guineas and had some traffic that day, he was third in the St James’s Palace and he finished third in the Sussex Stakes – and each time he was beaten three or four lengths.
“So, he was running consistently but he was bumping into the very best of his generation.
“I don’t know how much he has improved though, because on his best bits of his form last year, you would give him every chance today. I think we will really find out how much he has improved when he goes into Group One company next time.”
On future plans, he added: “He’s entered in the Lockinge and that looks the obvious place to go, it’s three weeks from now. Winning this race and winning at Doncaster, he deserves to take his chance there. It will be tougher again than today but Silvestre said we could step up in trip one day as well.
“He deserves to be entered in the top mile races and he might end up going beyond a mile at some point. But it will be a mile for now and he deserves to be in the Lockinge and deserves to be in the Queen Anne.”
De Sousa said: “Today was much more tactical than Doncaster but I just had to be aware of the good horses around me and he’s a nice horse going forward who deserves to win that kind of race.
“He’s a bit more confident after getting his head in front at Doncaster and hopefully he can come forward again.
“Roger and the owner have given me this nice opportunity and I’m delighted.”
bet365 Mile (Group 2)
£80,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (6) Charyn 4 9-3 Roger Varian Silvestre De Sousa 9/4F
2 (2) 1¼ Poker Face 5 9-6 Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle 9/2
3 (5) nk Lord North 8 9-3 John & Thady Gosden William Buick 100/30
4 (4) 2¾ Pogo 8 9-3 Charles Hills Kieran Shoemark 28/1
5 (7) hd Witch Hunter 5 9-3 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 20/1
6 (1) 5½ Nostrum 2 4 9-3 Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore 5/2
NR 1 (3) Flight Plan 4 9-6 K R Burke NON RUNNER
