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Queen Anne Stakes 2016: Belardo has Royal appointment
Posted in: Royal Ascot News
Roger Varian has nominated Royal Ascot as the next port of call for Belardo, after his impressive victory in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
A winner of the Dewhurst as a two-year-old, Belardo had failed to get his head in front in seven starts last season, but he showed that all the ability remains intact when chasing Solow home at Ascot in October and made a successful return to action in a listed race at Doncaster last month.
He didn’t get the run of the race when a beaten favourite in a Group 2 at Sandown on his next start and, having accounted for Euro Charline in decisive fashion on Saturday, Roger Varian is keeping his fingers crossed ahead of Belardo’s proposed run in the Queen Anne at next month’s Royal meeting.
Speaking immediately after the race on Saturday, he explained: “The team at home have done a fantastic job and I'm delighted for the horse, as he deserved another big one, I thought.
“He'll certainly be trained for Royal Ascot - that's where we'd like to be.
“God willing we get there in one piece. He will be in all the big mile races and hopefully this will be the start of a good season.”
Varian feels his charge can be forgiven a slightly disappointing three-year-old campaign, with conditions failing to come in his favour on several occasions through the summer.
“We messed him around a bit last year,” he admitted.
“We had him ready for races and then didn't run because of the firm ground. Then we tried him over six furlongs and he's not a sprinter.”
Limato, fourth behind Belardo on Saturday, has already proven himself to be a high-class sprinter and, although a rematch with his Lockinge conqueror has not been ruled out, trainer Henry Candy suggested a return to six furlongs at Royal Ascot would also come into consideration.
“We've got a lot of head scratching to do,” he declared.
“He'll stay in the Diamond Jubilee and the Queen Anne. We'll just have to see how he gets on.”
Queen Anne Stakes - Betfair Betting: 11/4 Tepin, 7/1 Belardo, 7/1 Time Test, 8/1 Ervedya, 9/1 Limato, 12/1 bar
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