Charyn heading to the Curragh for Irish 2,000 Guineas

Horse Racing

Newmarket eighth did have option of Sandy Lane at Haydock.

Roger Varian has decided to give Charyn another shot at Classic glory in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.

A Group Two-winning two-year-old last season, the grey son of Dark Angel made a promising return when second to subsequent French 2000 Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

Charyn was unable to make an impact when eighth in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and Varian did have the option of dropping him back in trip for this weekend’s Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

However, he feels it is worth rolling dice once more over a mile at the Curragh.

“We were bit torn between the Sandy Lane and the Irish Guineas, but we’ve decided to go to Ireland,” said the Newmarket handler.

“We just think with the Newmarket race being on soft ground, the high numbers not really getting into it and things being a bit rough early, we didn’t really learn about the mile, not conclusively anyway.

“There’s only Classic options for so long in a horse’s life so we’re going to have another go.

“He’s a very talented horse and his run in the Greenham reads very well with the winner almost winning the French Guineas. I think if we can just draw a line through his run at Newmarket we’d be confident of a bold showing in Ireland.

“He might be a horse to come back in trip later in the year, but we feel he deserves another crack at a mile. When he ran at Newbury in that heavy ground he was strong at the line there over seven furlongs and Newmarket was just too inconclusive.”

Al Husn winning at Newmarket
Al Husn winning at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Varian was speaking after seeing Al Husn provide him with a third victory in the last six runnings of the Tennent’s Lager British Stallion Studs EBF Rothesay Stakes at Ayr on Wednesday.

The Dubawi filly won each of her three starts in 2022 and found only the exciting Via Sistina too strong on her reappearance in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.

On the strength of that form she was a 5-6 favourite for her Listed assignment in Scotland and travelled powerfully throughout under Jim Crowley on her way to a cosy half-length triumph over Johnny Murtagh’s Irish raider Angels Wrath.

Varian said: “She’s a lovely filly, very likeable. She’d been very progressive last year and I was delighted she stayed in training.

“She ran well at Newmarket in the soft ground on Guineas Sunday and I thought she won a bit cosily today. She’s got a lovely attitude and I thought she was just doing enough, Jim gave her a nice sympathetic ride and she should come on from that again.

“We’ll get her home and chat with the team and see. I should think something like the Hopping Stakes at Newcastle might suit.”

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