
VARSOVIAN and Soaring Spirits (pictured), both previous winners of eight races, made it nine apiece when they combined to land a 31.5/1 double at Lingfield this evening under Robert Winston.
The double was instigated by Varsovian in a six furlong seller and although not best in at the weights on official figures, the top-rated horse in the race was weighted to run well. The previous four-times course and distance winner was always handily placed and after being sent into the lead two from home, the son of Refuse To Bend was driven inside the final furlong and held on to win by a head from the fast finishing Kavora.
Varsovian clearly loves Lingfield and this victory gave him a nap hand over the Surrey track’s six furlongs. There was no claim for the winner who was sent off the 9/4 favourite.
Soaring Spirits completed the double with a fine front-running ride by Robert Winston. Drawn well, two of twelve, he was driven into the lead and although challenged by the eventual runner-up, Epsom Secret, who ranged upsides a furlong out, the chestnut son of Tamayuz was if nothing but game and the 9/1 shot held on by a neck.
This was a good performance from Soaring Spirits, who had been off the track for four months and whose only win over a mile was his first victory back in 2013. Congratulations to owner, Mrs Doreen Carter, whose chestnut has been in the first three in a third of all 65 starts.
The two successes at Lingfield take the stable to 21 wins for the year at a strike rate of 16%. With under half the season gone, Harper Lodge Farm is ahead of the game in its bid to beat last year’s total of 38 wins as the yard had 16 wins by the end of June in 2017.