'A feat few could pull off' - Roger Varian's seven-timer heads the awards

The Racing Post's awards honour the best (and sometimes worst) performances and raise talking points from the last seven days of racing. This week's winners are . . .

Trainer of the week

Roger Varian

It couldn't be anyone else after a remarkable afternoon on Saturday which saw the Newmarket man win with seven of his 12 runners, dominating the cards at Ayr and Newbury.

Varian may have thought his month could get no better than Eldar Eldarov's St Leger heroics, but this was a feat few trainers in Britain could pull off and underlined his talents.

A double on Wednesday and a victory on Friday helped him finish on ten winners for the week, meaning he is £300,000 in prize-money and fewer than 30 winners away from eclipsing his career-best tallies from last year. Given the yard's form, that looks a near certainty.

Performance of the week

Sakheer

Debates will be had over the strength in depth of the Mill Reef Stakes, but regardless there can surely be little doubt over the quality of Sakheer, who did what he had to in effortless fashion.

He cruised into contention under David Egan, who had to exact only the bare minimum of pressure on his mount before striding clear, confirming the promise of his Haydock victory the time before.

David Egan could afford a look behind as Sakheer went clearCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Trainer Roger Varian described him as "very exciting" and his best juvenile after the race. There are a multitude of options moving forward with a tilt at Group 1 company up next, possibly as soon as the Middle Park this coming weekend. He looks the type to be dangerous over any trip from six furlongs to a mile.

Form boost of the week

Flying Honours

Sakheer was far from the only high-class colt in action and Stormbuster showed he could be a force to be reckoned with in the Vertem Futurity later this season after slamming a couple of well-regarded rivals in the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes at Newbury on Friday.

Godolphin's odds-on favourite Highbank was well beaten in second, but the result provided a huge boost to his Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate Flying Honours, who had thrashed Stormbuster by five and a half lengths in a Listed contest at Salisbury last month.

That came after a nine-and-a-half-length romp at Sandown on his previous start and he too has an entry in the Vertem Futurity, as well as the Royal Lodge on Saturday. William Hill cut the Sea The Stars colt's Derby odds to 14-1 (from 20) after Stormbuster's triumph.

Jockey of the week

Hector Crouch

David Egan deserves recognition after riding his first four-timer at Newbury – and for the way he has bounced back from the split with Mishriff's owner Prince Faisal – but flying under the radar in no less brilliant style was Hector Crouch, who won six in a row in a superb spell from Thursday to Saturday.

Hector Crouch won on six rides in a rowCredit: Alex Davidson (Getty Images)

Crouch was two from two at Pontefract on Thursday and then swept to a treble at Kempton on Friday. His streak continued when landing the first at Newmarket on Saturday aboard 9-1 shot Trust The Stars for Ralph Beckett, before being denied a seventh straight winner when second on Eidikos in the next.

Ride of the week

Danny Tudhope on Summerghand

There was no prouder man over the weekend than Danny Tudhope, who guided the venerable Summerghand to Ayr Gold Cup glory and in the process became the first Scottish jockey to win the famous sprint in 50 years.

Given his requirement to be held up, the eight-year-old needs a ride of absolute perfection to navigate his way through these big-field handicaps – with a sprinkle of luck thrown in – and that is what Tudhope provided. He judged it expertly.

Read this next:

'Something special' - Sakheer the star of 34,838-1 seven-timer for Roger Varian

'This means so much' - Tudhope first Scottish rider in 50 years to win Gold Cup

Catch our in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Classic-winning jockey George Baker, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.