Roger Varian is a British

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

, based at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Riding career

Varian moved to the United States as a teenager and found employment as a work rider at Hollywood Park. On his return to the United Kingdom rode as a National Hunt jockey, mainly for the

Josh Gifford Josh Gifford (3 August 1941 – 9 February 2012) was a jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was a four-time Champion Jockey, riding 642 winners in his career. He retired from training in 2002, aged 60, and his son Nick Gifford too ...

stable, riding seven winners. He went back to the United States in 2001 for the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

-based Jack Fisher commenting that his riding career "needed a push forward". Less than two months after relocating to the United States, Varian sustained a serious wrist injury in a fall, ending his career as a jockey.

Training career

Varian returned to the United Kingdom and became assistant trainer to

Michael Jarvis Michael Jarvis (14 August 1938 – 20 September 2011) was a Thoroughbred horse trainer in England. Based in Newmarket, Jarvis trained numerous Group One winners including three winners of the British Haydock Sprint Cup. Jarvis's horses also ...

at the Kremlin House stable in Newmarket. He remained at the stable for ten years, handling horses such as

Rakti Rakti (10 February 1999 – December 2010) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse, who won six Group One races in Italy (where he was originally trained) and the United Kingdom in a career which lasted from 2001 to 2005. Background Rakti was ...

and Eswarah before taking over the yard when Jarvis retired due to poor health in February 2011. Commenting on his succession, Varian described himself as "very grateful... very privileged and... very lucky". In his first season as a trainer Varian sent out the filly Nahrain to win the

Prix de l'Opéra The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and i ...

. Nahrain won the

Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes The Flower Bowl Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. ...

in 2012, and other major winners from Varian's stable that year included Beyond Desire (

Prix de Saint-Georges The Prix de Saint-Georges is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs) at Longcham ...

), Sri Putra ( York Stakes) and Shimmering Surf ( Pinnacle Stakes). In 2013, Varian's winners included Farraaj (

Winter Derby The Winter Derby is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs () at Lingfield Park in February or Ma ...

), Ambivalent ( Pretty Polly Stakes, Aljamaaher ( Summer Mile Stakes), Princess Noor (

Princess Margaret Stakes The Princess Margaret Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to tak ...

) and Kingston Hill), a grey two-year-old colt who won the Autumn Stakes and the

Racing Post Trophy The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...

. In 2014 Kingston Hill finished second in the Epsom Derby before giving Varian his first British Classic Race win in the

St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...

. Other winners for Varian stable in 2014 included the filly Cursory Glance ( Albany Stakes,

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...

), Ambivalent ( Middleton Stakes), Vert de Grece (

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932. For many years ...

) and

Belardo Belardo (foaled 2 April 2012) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A son of Lope de Vega, he is owned in partnership by Prince A. A. Faisal and Godolphin Racing and trained in Nemarket by Roger Varian. In 2014 he won two of ...

, who was rated the best two-year-old colt trained in Europe after his win in the

Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

. Varian moved from Kremlin House to Carlburg Stables in January 2017 after purchasing it from previous owner

Clive Brittain Clive Brittain (born 15 December 1934) is a retired British race-horse trainer. He started in racing as an apprentice in 1949, and became a licensed trainer from 1972 after working for Noel Murless. He trained at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, ...

Major wins

Great Britain *

British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes The British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 3 f ...

– (1) – '' Eshaada (2021)'' *

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

– (2) – ''

Postponed Postponed (foaled 4 April 2011) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won one minor race as a two-year-old before establishing himself as a useful middle-distance performer in the following year with wins in the Glasgow S ...

(2016),

Defoe Defoe may refer to: People *Defoe (surname), most notably English author Daniel Defoe Places *Defoe, Webster County, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Other uses *Defoe (comics), a zombie story *Defoe Shipbuilding Company, a former ship ...

(2019)'' *

– (1) – ''

(2014)'' *

International Stakes The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards (2, ...

– (1) – ''Postponed (2016)'' *

Lockinge Stakes The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Newbur ...

– (1) – ''Belardo (2016)'' *

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...

- (1) - '' Bayside Boy (2022) '' *

– (1) – '' Kingston Hill (2013)'' *

St. Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...

– (2) – ''Kingston Hill (2014), Eldar Eldarov (2022)'' Canada * E. P. Taylor Stakes – (1) – ''Sheikha Reika (2018)'' France *

– (1) – ''Vert De Grece (2014)'' *

Prix d'Ispahan The Prix d'Ispahan is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,850 metres (about 1 mile and 1¼ furlongs), and ...

– (1) – '' Zabeel Prince (2019)'' *

– (1) – ''Nahrain (2011) *

Prix Jean Romanet The Prix Jean Romanet is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles) at Deauville in ...

– (1) – ''Ajman Princess (2017)'' *

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), a ...

– (1) – ''Teona (2021)'' Ireland *

– (1) – ''

Cursory Glance Cursory Glance (foaled 11 February 2012) is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Bred and owned by the Merry Fox Stud, her brief track career consisted of only four races between May and September 2014. After t ...

(2014)'' * Pretty Polly Stakes – (2) – ''Ambivalent (2012), Nezwaah (2017)''

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...

– (1) – ''Postponed (2016)'' USA *

– (1) – ''Nahrain (2012)''

Family

Roger Varian is the son of Nigel and Sue Varian. His older brother Christopher was murdered in 2010 at

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...

by a migrant worker with a history of mental illness. Varian is married to Hanako Sonobe and has three children: Momoka, Eiji and Reika.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varian, Roger British racehorse trainers Living people 1979 births People educated at John Hampden Grammar School