'It gives you a degree of confidence' - positive signs for Eldar Eldarov following stablemate Charyn's Doncaster romp

Charyn's win in Saturday's Doncaster Mile has given Roger Varian confidence in the build-up to Eldar Eldarov's bid for glory in this weekend's Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.

While the two horses have not been working together, Varian revealed they have been on a similar training programme given both had March targets.

On their similar preparations, Varian said: "They both finished their seasons quite early last year and had early-season targets this year. I always wanted to take Charyn to Doncaster to drop a level, so he was on an early programme and so was Eldar Eldarov.

"One's a miler and one's a stayer so they haven't been working together, but when you see one win nicely, it gives you a degree of confidence what you've been doing isn't wrong. Horses don't always follow so it isn't black and white, but if Charyn had finished fourth looking like he desperately needed the run then you'd be questioning if we'd done enough.

"Eldar Eldarov's always been a clear-winded horse and he's light on his feet, so I think he's in good shape."

The big question mark over Eldar Eldarov in Saturday's Group 2 is the trip. His form figures at a mile and six furlongs read 1121 and include victories in the British and Irish St Legers and the Queen's Vase, while he has a seventh and a fourth from two efforts over two miles as well as finishing seventh in last year's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot [two and a half miles] in which he clearly did not stay.

However, his trainer is confident the trip will not be an issue at Meydan, adding: "He's only gone two miles twice, at Ascot in the Long Distance Cup and at Goodwood where the winner went 20 lengths clear and they all had to get racing early. You'd have to think he'd got the trip that day as they finished in a line second to fifth.

"Every time he's gone a mile-six he looks like he's only just hit top gear, so you'd think on that two miles would be in his range. We went to Ascot last year thinking he'd get two and a half.

"He won a Leger at three, he won at the Curragh last year on a stiff track on yielding ground, and this is a flat two miles on good to firm ground. I don't think the trip is a question and he's in great form."

Roger Varian: "I don't think the trip is a question and he's in great form"Credit: Edward Whitaker

As for the rest of the season, Varian is toying with the idea of dropping back to a mile and a half. He said: "His best trip seems to be a mile-six, but there are not many races at a mile and six. So we either persevere at two miles – we're definitely not keen to go back to Ascot for the Gold Cup because we think that does stretch him – or at some point we could bring him back to a mile and a half.

"We'll see how he runs on Saturday and the condition he's in when we get home. If he's ready to run in May we could go back to York, otherwise we could take our time and maybe run in the Hardwicke. And that would give us an idea where we stand for the second half of the season. I think it's worth doing at some point."

Read more now:

'He looks a huge price at 16-1' - why this horse can win on Dubai World Cup night on Saturday 

Kieran Shoemark lands another plum Meydan ride for Gosden stable on Trawlerman in Saturday's Dubai Gold Cup 

Annaf joins Regional in missing Dubai World Cup night after suffering travel issue 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.