Varian, who operates one of Newmarket's most productive yards — 87 winners already this season — is clearly treating this horse as a project rather than a problem. Speaking recently, he noted that Glory Of The Seas did nothing wrong on his only start over a mile at Newcastle, and that the horse's future lies over longer distances. That matters, because some horses simply need more ground to show their best, and running them at the wrong trip early on can make a decent horse look like a modest one. Varian believes this is one of those cases.
The plan for April involves a step up in distance, with races over ten furlongs at Nottingham and a mile and three furlongs at Newbury in the frame as potential targets. Winning one of those would then open the door to a Derby trial — which, for a three-year-old still finding his feet, is a significant ambition. The Derby at Epsom is run over a mile and four furlongs and is one of the most prestigious flat races in the world. Trainers do not mention it lightly. Varian's cautious phrasing — "whether he's a nice horse or a very nice horse remains to be seen" — is the kind of measured optimism that experienced handlers use when they genuinely don't want to get ahead of themselves, but can't quite hide their excitement either. Add in what Varian describes as a lovely
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 6 Nov | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 Apr | 0% |
| Chester Tight |
1 | 1 third | 8 May | 0% |