Roger Varian believes Ektihaam’s potential unlocked – Horseracing News
Trainer Roger Varian believes that he has managed to unleash the true potential of his stallion Ektihaam, who recently completed a dominant victory in the Buckhounds Stakes in England.
During his first race of the 2013 season, Ektihaam managed to make a strong impression by taking third place overall. He showed a clear improvement in his form and fitness, which forced his team to test him at Ascot.
According to Varian, “He really thrived after his first run back and we took him to Ascot earlier this month for the Listed Buckhounds Stakes with a view to letting him stroll on as he had been pulling quite hard. It was certainly the right thing to do as he led at a decent pace and then lengthened in the straight coming home an easy six lengths clear.”
Interestingly, the four-year-old gelding was not given the best odds for victory in that event, but he still managed to dictate terms in the end. He has not been seen in action since then but his fans would love to see him race again.
When asked about Ektihaam’s future plans, Varian said, “He won't run again until Royal Ascot where we have prioritised the Hardwicke Stakes. He clearly relished every yard of the mile and a half last time so we have to be hopeful going there.”
Overall, the Irish challenger has participated in a total of nine races, winning four of them whereas finished as a runner up on a couple of times. In addition to that, he has also secured the third spot once, which clearly suggests that he is quite capable of fighting for the top three positions with consistency.
Despite that, his owners have decided not to risk him in too many races, which will put extra burden on him. They have been testing him in selective events, so that he stays fit and has time to practice too.
However, one should keep this in mind that staying race fit should be a priority for any stallion. No matter how hard he practices, he will be unable to gain confidence unless he comes out to prove his potential against some of the best in the business.
Tags: