Roger Varian is looking to give Dragon Symbol a confidence boost following his below-par reappearance in the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes earlier this month.
The Cable Bay colt won four in the row when trained by Archie Watson last season before going on to produce some fine efforts in defeat in a plethora of Group contests, which include the Commonwealth Cup when Dragon Symbol crossed the line in first, only to be demoted by the stewards.
However, the four-year-old looked far from his best when a well-held seventh on the Knavesmire in his first start for the Carlburg Stables handler and Varian is toying with the idea of a run in Haydock’s Achilles Stakes in an attempt to get the versatile operator back to his best.
He said: “He seems fine, but it was a disappointing run at York whatever way you look at it, so we’re regrouping and we’ll have to see how we go next time.
“He’ll get an entry in the Achilles Stakes over five furlongs at Haydock and we’ll contemplate that. His form is in the book from last year and he’s adaptable over five and six furlongs, but we would like to see him run better than he did at York. We need to rekindle whatever was missing at York.”
Varian also provided an update on Teona, with the Group One-winning filly set to sit out the Coronation Cup.
Last year’s Prix Vermeille winner finished her three-year-old campaign by picking up a bronze medal behind Yibir in the Breeders’ Cup turf, but instead of making her reappearance at Epsom, could return in either the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes or Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot or even make the trip to Ireland for the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes.
“She won’t make the Coronation Cup. She’s just taking a while to come to herself, she’s fine, she’s training nicely, but she won’t be ready for a racecourse in time to go to Epsom.
“She’s got entries at Ascot and she’s also in the Pretty Polly later in June.”
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