A masterplan comes to fruition as the prince made of glass lands the Ebor

On the racecourse where owner and trainer combined for one of their first major triumphs together, Roger Varian and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid teamed up again to land Britain's premier Flat handicap with a horse who admirably repaid their considerable patience.

It was at the Ebor festival in 2016 that Postponed carried his owner's famous yellow and black silks to land the Juddmonte International.

If that is York's most prestigious race, its most famous and historic prize is undoubtedly the Ebor itself, which the duo captured for the first time with ante-post favourite Fujaira Prince.

Varian bought the then yearling for 90,000gns in October 2015, at a point when he had never even trained a horse for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. Yet across the intervening five years the desperately fragile grey had raced only seven times prior to his tilt at the Sky Bet-backed Ebor, this season reduced to £250,000 from £1 million due to the year's unique circumstances. Given his back story, Fujaira Prince was rather a unique winner.

Fujaira Prince (Andrea Atzeni) beats Glencadam Glory in the Sky Bet EborCredit: Edward Whitaker

There had been victories at Wetherby, Carlisle and Doncaster, but the six-year-old truly announced himself on a rare southern excursion at Royal Ascot in June. A runaway romp in the inaugural Copper Horse Handicap made him look a serious contender for the Ebor, the great old handicap that had been his main target all year long.

On the soft ground so beloved by the progeny of Pivotal – who won the Nunthorpe here on this exact date 24 years ago – the 11-2 market leader ensured the planning reaped rewards, leading home Glencadam Glory, Verdana Blue and Monica Sheriff having led a furlong out under Andrea Atzeni.

For Varian, it was an emotional success. Friday marked the tenth anniversary of the murder of his brother, Chris. It was therefore for the most understandable reasons that Varian watched this race back home with his parents, wife Hanako and their children.

"He is a wonderful horse and I really am grateful to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid because he has been incredibly patient with a horse who has been very delicate to train," said Varian.

"When he gives us days like this and the one at Royal Ascot he is worth every bit of the patience. I'm also so grateful to the team. This horse has needed nursing and wrapping up. Without the team's hard work he wouldn't have achieved what he has this year.

Roger Varian and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid: triumphant together in the EborCredit: Edward Whitaker

"The expression 'made of glass' would really apply to this guy. We space his races out. The biggest number of starts he has ever had in a season is the three he had last year. We'll try to match that this year."

Watching from Dubai was Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who was thrilled to land a contest that had previously proved elusive.

"We have been trying for a long time to win this race and had three or four attempts," he said. "Today we have been lucky. We gave him plenty of time after Ascot to have him ready for the Ebor. It's a race people like and don't forget that the prize-money is exactly the same as the Group 1 races this year. I just wish we had won the same prize-money as they had last year!"

The sheikh added: "I am patient with all my horses. If you win once you lose ten times, so you do have to be patient. I think Roger learned that you must take time with horses from working with Michael Jarvis. I always joke with him that his patience comes from Michael's patience."

Varian will continue to be patient. The last four Ebor winners have gone on to tackle the Melbourne Cup, whose Racing Victoria handicapper, Greg Carpenter, immediately expressed a desire to see the horse head to Australia.

Fujaira Prince and Andrea Atzeni prepare to enter York's winner's enclosureCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He is clearly going to have enough weight to get in the field," said Carpenter – but Fujaira Prince may be destined for Ascot not Flemington.

"I'm not sure if he is a Melbourne Cup horse," said Varian. "We obviously like the idea, and we'll see what Sheikh Mohammed Obaid wants to do, but I think we could freshen him up and maybe look at the stayers' race on Champions Day."

The winner certainly looks like a Group performer. "Well, you can tell the handicapper our horse is still a handicapper!" said Glencadam Glory's trainer Tim Easterby, who immediately declared a plan to come back for next year's Ebor.

Thanks to vast patience and professionalism, a horse made of glass brought a masterplan to brilliant fruition.

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