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HomeHorse RacingRoger Varian has seven winners at odds of 34,838-1 & Summerghand wins...

Roger Varian has seven winners at odds of 34,838-1 & Summerghand wins Ayr Gold Cup


Roger Varian, David Egan and Sakheer
Sakheer was one of seven winners on Saturday for Roger Varian, with three of them ridden by David Egan

Trainer Roger Varian enjoyed seven winners across three cards on Saturday – at combined odds of 34,838-1.

He had trebles at Ayr and Newbury, and another victory at Newmarket.

Sakheer’s impressive victory in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury was among the highlights, six days after Varian won the St Leger with Eldar Eldarov.

Meanwhile, Danny Tudhope became the first Scottish jockey for 50 years to win the Ayr Gold Cup on home turf as Summerghand triumphed.

The 12-1 shot, trained by David O’Meara, came through late to claim victory and Tudhope punched the air with delight as he emulated compatriot Richard Hutchinson who won on Swinging Junior in 1972.

Newmarket trainer Varian said it was “special” to have seven winners on the same day.

“It’s been an amazing week with the St Leger and now all these winners in a flash,” he said.

“You don’t expect that to happen, and especially on a day when the racing is so competitive,” he said.

“We’ll enjoy it, it doesn’t often happen. You can never really expect things to go as well for us as it has today, but everything is clicking.”

The record number of winners trained in a single day is 12 – for Michael Dickinson at six different meetings on Boxing Day in 1982.

Varian’s seven winners

13.10 BST Newbury Exoplanet 5-2 fav

13:55 Ayr Royal Champion 9-4

14:06 Newmarket Al Husn 9-2

14:15 Newbury Mitbaahy 9-2

14:30 Ayr Dusky Lord 14-1

14:50 Newbury Sakheer 4-5 fav

17:20 Ayr Aimeric 11-4 fav

Combined odds 34,838-1

Summerghand & Tudhope win Ayr Gold Cup

Jockey Danny Tudhope with Summerghand
Tudhope has enjoyed a successful partnership with Summerghand

In the keenly contested six-furlong Ayr Gold Cup, the richest flat race of the year in Scotland, the eight-year-old Summerghand surged in the final furlong to triumph by a length.

Commanche Falls (10-1) was second with Juan Les Pins (28-1) in third.

Last year’s winner Bielsa, who was aiming to become the first modern-day back-to-back winner of the race, finished down the 24-runner field.

Commanche Falls had been bidding to add the prestigious race to the Stewards’ Cup he won in July but the winner, who was also victorious when the pair met at York last month, was too strong again.

O’Meara was picking up his second Ayr Gold Cup to add to Louis The Pious’ victory in 2014 and he told ITV Racing: “He’s been with me a long time and he’s an old legend isn’t he?

“He’s run here a good few times and hit the woodwork a fair bit. He’s an absolute legend.

“I don’t really gallop him. Like a lot of these good sprinters, they don’t need a lot of work. He runs quite frequently and sort of looks after himself.

“He loves the game and it was a great ride by Danny, I think they were saying it’s been over 50 years since a Scottish jockey has won this race.”

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