Taking on Minnie Hauk at Tattersalls Gold Cup 'the better option' for Saddadd as Roger Varian chooses Sunday's Group 1 over clash with Ombudsman

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Roger Varian is to take the Group 1 plunge with his fast-improving colt Saddadd in Sunday’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh rather than return to Sandown on Thursday week to take on Ombudsman.

The son of Pinatubo took the step up from handicaps to Group 3 company in his stride when running out a most impressive winner on his reappearance in the Gordon Richards Stakes last month.

Saddadd would carry a 3lb penalty for that win if he was to return to the Esher track for a showdown with Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, although he would still be getting 4lb off John and Thady Gosden's star as he has a 7lb penalty of his own to shoulder.

The prospect of going for a €500,000 race in Ireland, rather than a £95,000 one closer to home, has also been a factor according to Varian.

Varian gave Saddadd a workout on the Rowley Mile racecourse last Friday to prepare for his upcoming engagement when he impressed over seven furlongs under jockey Ray Dawson.

“Saddadd will do a bit of work tomorrow, but at the moment we are planning to take him to the Tattersalls Gold Cup," Varian said. "We think the Curragh will suit him well and this will tell us a bit more about him. 

"We had the option of going to Sandown to take on Ombudsman under a penalty for less money, but Ireland looks like the better option."

Roger Varian: "We think the Curragh will suit him well"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Beyond Sunday, Saddadd has an entry in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. Varian added: “He has entries at Royal Ascot and in the Coral-Eclipse over ten furlongs, but he could go a mile and a half. We’ll see how he gets on this weekend before we make a plan.”

Ombudsman remains on course for Sandown after a workout under William Buick in Newmarket on Wednesday morning and he will bid to become the first horse since Workforce in 2011 to defy a 7lb penalty in the 1m2f feature.

Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Sandown, said of conditions at the track: “If I had to call it today it would be good, but that is after extensive watering. We've had 3mm if that, but I know they had 17mm down at Goodwood the other day so it’s passed us by. I can’t see any rain on the radar for the next week and we’re forecast 28C over the weekend, so it will probably be on the quick side of good by Thursday."

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