Mill Reef Stakes: Sakheer takes Newbury Group Two to continue dream week for Classic winners Roger Varian and David Egan | Racing News

Classic-winning pair Roger Varian and David Egan continued their memorable week as they dominated the card at Newbury, including picking up the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes.

Varian’s exciting Sakheer confirmed the promise of his clear-cut Haydock success with a bloodless victory in the feature.

Defeated only by inexperience on debut, he built on that first appearance on Merseyside last month on just his third start at the Berkshire venue.

Always well positioned tracking the early leader Shouldvebeenaring, the result was elementary once David Egan showed the son of Zoffany some daylight and pushed the button for home.

The 4/5 favourite scorched clear to return an emphatic three-and-a-half-length verdict at the line, with the victory bringing up a four-timer on the day for Egan. For Varian it was his sixth winner of a stand-out afternoon up and down the UK.

Only six days after the trainer and jockey combination landed the St Leger for Sakheer’s owners KHK Racing Ltd, they could have another Classic contender on their hands, with Coral going 10/1 from 33/1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Varian said: “His work has always been very good, we thought he would win first time but he ran into a smart filly (Magical Sunset) at Windsor.

“He then won well at Haydock and he looks good. How good, I don’t know, but he is possibly the best of my two-year-olds. He has size and scope, he’s very exciting and I think he’ll stay seven furlongs or a mile.”

He added: “You can never really expect things to go as well for us as it has today, but everything is clicking. He in the Middle Park, but it’s next week, very soon. We’ll have to see.”

Mitbaahy cut for Champions Sprint after Group Three triumph

Mitbaahy regained the winning thread with a taking victory in the Group Three Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes.

Progressive in the early part of the season when winning at both Hamilton and Sandown’s Scurry Stakes, he was somewhat unfortunate to not bring up a hat-trick when beaten a neck in the Coral Charge at the Esher venue.

Nothing went right for the Roger Varian-trained son of Profitable at Goodwood when tried in the Group Two King George Stakes on his most recent start, but his handler was keen to draw a line through that outing prior to this five-furlong event and was proved right as the three-year-old burst back to his very best at the Berkshire track.

Always travelling smoothly in the hands of Egan behind the hot pace set by Look Out Louis, the 9/2 chance ran on strongly to hunt down Irish raider Teresa Mendoza in the closing stages.

The likeable colt was shortened into 33/1 from 50/1 with both Paddy Power and Betfair for the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on October 15.

Derby entry Exoplanet out of this world

Varian’s fine form continued when Exoplanet made a winning debut in the hands of Egan.

The duo combined to win the St Leger less than a week ago and Egan did everything right once again aboard the 260,000 guineas son of Sea The Stars.

Sent off the well-backed 5/2 favourite for the Racing TV EBF Novice Stakes, his stamina reserves came to the fore in the closing stages as he kept on strongly and had too much for runner-up Bussento.

The victory was much more comfortable than the winning margin would suggest and there is likely more to come from this smart Sheikh Mohammed Obai-owned colt who holds an entry in next year’s Derby.

Stay Alert books Ascot Champions Day ticket

Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert was given a cool ride by Egan to land the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes at Newbury.

Held up in the early stages of the 11-furlong contest, the daughter of Fastnet Rock was always travelling best when the race developed and would have been classed as an unlucky loser if the gaps had failed to materialise.

However, Egan plotted a successful course in the closing stages and used the filly’s turn of foot to expert effect to seal what was a somewhat cosy success.

Well-backed into 5/1 before the off, she was shortened to 14/1 from 20/1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot next month, while Coral went further and offered odds of 8/1 for the three-year-old to strike on Qipco British Champions Day.

Morrison confirmed Ascot as the target, saying: “She had three quick races, and it was important after the Lancashire Oaks that we settled her. That’s why she was dropped in today. She was completely relaxed and made up her ground on the inside.

“I always thought she was going to get there, and she actually shows a decent turn of foot.

“It’s my inclination to take her to Ascot on Champions Day for the fillies’ Group One over a mile and a half. And hopefully Martyn and Ben (Arbib) will have a go and keep her in training next year.”

Saeed bin Suroor’s Marching Army (22/1) led home a Godolphin 1-2-3 in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap, with the Charlie Appleby-trained pair of Ottoman Fleet (second) and the 5/2 favourite Warren Point filling the placings.