Sakheer to have racecourse gallop ahead of Guineas date

Roger Varian opts to skip Greenham due to testing ground.

Sakheer will head straight to the Qipco 2000 Guineas with connections deciding against running in a red-hot edition of the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

Roger Varian’s impressive Mill Reef winner was in line for a return to the Berkshire track at the start of his Classic season, but the prospect of testing conditions for the seven-furlong contest has seen the Carlburg Stables handler decide to complete Sakheer’s Guineas preparations closer to home.

A general 8-1 shot for the opening Classic of the season on May 6, he is set for a Rowley Mile reconnaissance mission via a racecourse gallop.

“He’s in good form and we’re very happy with him,” said Varian.

“I think the Newbury ground this weekend will be very testing and I’m not sure he is quite ready for that, but he can have a nice gallop not far from home and hopefully that will bring him on a notch. We are 19 days out from the Guineas as we stand and we’re very happy with his condition.”

The son of Zoffany – who is owned by the KHK Racing Ltd operation that tasted Classic success with Eldar Eldarov last season – raced three times at two, all at six furlongs.

However, if Sakheer is to add to both his trainer and owner’s Classic haul, he will need to prove he stays an extra two furlongs – something Varian cannot be certain about until he is put to the test under race conditions.

“We don’t really know about a mile, truth be told,” he continued. “We hope he gets a mile but he’s never raced beyond six and he’s been very good over six.

“He’s bred to get a mile and we’re going to ask that question of him. We have options over shorter – Commonwealth Cups and Prix Jean Prats – should the mile be beyond him from a stamina point of view.

“I think on pedigree he has every chance of getting a mile and none of us will really know until he runs. You can get an idea at home, but it’s really under race pressure and race circumstances that you really know if they get home or not.”

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