Varian retains Belardo faith Roger Varian is hoping for some ease in the ground at the Curragh this weekend to allow Belardo to show his true colours in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas. The Lope De Vega colt looked every inch a Classic contender after rounding off a fine juvenile campaign with a Group One success in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, but he was never a factor on his first start at three, finishing down the field in last month's Greenham at Newbury. Varian insists there are no signs his charge has not trained on judged on his homework and he expects a bold show on Saturday, as long as underfoot conditions are suitable. "He doesn't want it too quick. I think good ground and anything easier than good is favourable," the trainer told At The Races. "He did some very nice work on Sunday morning, the plan is to run him on Saturday and we just hope it doesn't dry out too much. "You have to keep faith in these horses and you can't write them off after one run, especially as the ground was very quick at Newbury and he just never let himself down. "He didn't have a hard race, he's a fresh horse. His work had been excellent leading up to that race and excellent since. "We'd be very confident that, provided the ground isn't too quick, we've a very good horse on our hands still."
