Varian leaning towards Windsor Castle with exciting Bolt Action

Adam Morgan
June 5, 2022 10:38 am

But stablemate Tajalla will miss the Royal meeting after a setback.

Roger Varian has identified the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot as a possible destination for his impressive Leicester winner Bolt Action.

The son of Kessaar was sent off at 9-4 when bursting onto the scene with a clinical four-length victory in the east midlands and the GBP 160,000 breeze-up purchase looks asmart two-year-old in the making.

Bolt Action raced prominently throughout and New Destination, the well-backed 11-10 favourite, had no answer once David Egan asked his colt to quicken, with the winner subsequently introduced into the Norfolk Stakes market at 10-1 by Ladbrokes.

However, despite acknowledging that Group Two contest will come under consideration, the Carlburg Stables handler is leaning towards the Listed Windsor Castle on the second day of the meeting as the right race for the talented youngster.

What a performance!
🏇 Bolt Action lands a winning debut after winning the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes in confident style for David Egan and @varianstable 👏 pic.twitter.com/IQVyDZVDAY

— Leicester Racecourse (@LeicesterRaces) May 31, 2022

“He’s a nice little horse. We were very pleased with that first performance and he has come out of the race very well. It is very likely he will go to Ascot for something like the Windsor Castle.

“I have to discuss it with the owner, who will come and watch him train next week and we will probably consider both options (Norfolk Stakes and Windsor Castle), but I thought initially the Windsor Castle was the race that we would potentially take a look at.”

Bolt Action is the second son of Kessaar to impress for Varian on debut following Tajalla’s blistering display on the Rowley Mile earlier this season.

Varian was keen to stress how impressed he has been with both colts’ temperament as much as their raw ability and added: “They are both really nice two-year-olds with very very good attitudes which is always half the battle.

“They need ability, but they also need a good brain to go with it and they both appear to have that. But they have never worked together and I wouldn’t know which one is quicker!”

Tajalla, here making an impressive debut at Newmarket, has been ruled out of Royal Ascot (Tim Goode/PA)

However, in a sting to the tail, Varian revealed that Tajalla, who missed an intended engagement in the National Stakes at Sandown recently, will be out until the autumn having suffered a setback.

“Unfortunately, he’s had a setback and he’ll miss Ascot,” he continued.

“He’ll miss the summer months, but would have a chance of racing towards the latter part of the season. Aidan’s (O’Brien) filly (Tenebrism) who won the Cheveley Park last year, she won in March and then never ran again until the Cheveley Park, so it is possible. But it is a blow to miss the summer months as he looked a proper good two-year-old.”

One horse that could make Varian’s Royal Ascot squad is Eldar Eldarov, who made an eyecatching reappearance when winning at Newcastle last month.

The Dubawi colt, who cost GBP 480,000, looked to be worth every penny when a five-length winner at Nottingham on debut last October and only enhanced his reputation when doubling up at Gosforth Park.

Eldar Eldarov, here ridden by David Egan when winning the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (Div 2) at Nottingham, is set to run at Royal Ascot (Tim Goode/PA)

He holds an entry for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, as well as the Irish Derby later in the summer, and Varian states that a run at Ascot is definitely on the cards for the three-year-old.

“We liked him last year and we’ve liked him all winter. He was a bit slow to come to hand, he didn’t come to hand quick enough to make one of the Derby trials, but he’s a nice horse who will have a big future hopefully,” said Varian.

“We hope he is a horse who could get to Ascot in the King Edward or the Queen’s Vase, so we will see how he trains in the next 10 days and the plan will be to get to Ascot with him.”