Raammee set to spearhead Varian’s York squad

John Smith’s Cup winner Raammee will spearhead Roger Varian’s team for the Ebor meeting when he returns to York next week.

The lightly-raced four-year-old held off Hand Of God by three-quarters of a length in one of the hottest handicaps of the season.

Now rated 103, he will be close to top-weight in the Sky Bet Dav Reid Finale Handicap a week on Saturday.

“He will go back to York for the last race on the Saturday,” said Varian. “That’s where we are planning to go with him.

“He has looked good in all of his starts after racing a bit babyish on his reappearance run at Sandown on grass in May. He was very good in the John Smith’s. He has only had five career starts and we are only just scratching the surface of what might be there.

“He is on a mark where he can stay in a handicap for another run or two, but is a horse who we hope we can train for a year or two and is one to look forward to for sure.”

Thursday’s Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes is the aim for the promising Summerson, a 13-length winner at Ffos Las last time out.

“She was a very impressive winner of a maiden on her third start, but seems to have got better with each start,” said Varian.

“She is thriving. She is a beautiful home-bred filly of Andrew Black’s and is doing really well. She’s rated 96 after just her third start so she deserves to step up into a race like that.

“If you had asked me in March I would have said not on your nelly (be up to a race like that), but the way she’s suddenly matured and improved on the racecourse, which is how we like them to do it, is impressive.

“She didn’t beat a lot last time, but she ran a big figure and looks like she is getting better and better at home.

“Another filly we run is Mobberley Rose in the 10-furlong handicap on the Friday. She will be stepping up in trip and coming back into a handicap from a Listed race.

“There is a potential handicap we could run Al Azd in. He is off 109 and is in a handicap for three-year-olds and upwards over a mile and a half. I don’t think I have quite settled on that for him.”