Big Days Ahead For David Evans Trained Rohaan
Wales-based trainer David Evans tasted Group success last month with victory in the Pavilion Stakes, a race of Group Three status. He went into that 6f contest as a 22/1 outsider, however, he overcame a strong field at Ascot to prevail by just over a length.
Under the hands of leading jockey Ryan Moore, Rohaan was given a patient ride in the opening stages of the contest. Once they reached the halfway point of the race, they started going through the gears before hitting the front of the field.
The sprinter’s latest success was the fifth of his career and by far the biggest. He is now rated at 106, which means he could remain in Group company this year. It has also opened a lot more doors for the horse in 2021.
Rohaan has clearly improved as a three-year-old. He was active on the track over the winter on the all-weather which meant he was very fit for his Pavilion Stakes assignment. He had to improve a lot on the form with Supremacy who was successful in the Middle Park Stakes and Richmond Stakes last season but he did just that.
Supremacy has an entry in the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He is 11/1 in the horse racing betting for that sprint contest for three-year-olds. Rohaan is not entered himself, but he could come across the horse again later this season at either Glorious Goodwood or York’s Juddmonte meeting.
The Wales-based horse is likely to have a few weeks off before he hits the track again. He could appear at Chepstow, one of his local tracks for a spin if his connections opt for the colt to appear in Wales next.
Evans Has History With Rohaan
Evans knows Rohaan’s family very well as he also trained Dougan, a half-brother to the sprinter. He won seven races for him between 2015 and 2018. The majority of his success came over 6f on the all-weather.
Although Dougan never did progress up to Listed or Group company, he earned £77,067 throughout his career, and reached a peak official rating of 100.
Evans bought Dougan’s half-brother Rohaan at the October training sales for 20,000gns. That purchase is proving to be a very good one now. The dual-purpose trainer noted the horse’s ‘size and scope’ were what appealed to him at the time of purchase.
Welsh Trainer Bidding For Best Season Yet
With just over 70 horses in his yard at Ty-Derlwyn Farm in Pandy, Evans will be aiming for his best season yet in 2021. He was named the Welsh Flat Trainer of the Year in 2020, a reflection of how strong he remains in the sport.
Evans has already had 28 winners this year. He is on course to surpass his tally of 50 from 2020 before the campaign is over.
The experienced operator has been training horses since 1988. He has over 1000 winners to his name and is showing no signs of slowing down. He will be hoping Rohaan can give him more Group success and possibly even climb up to the highest level before the year is out. At the very least, he is a horse the veteran trainer can be very excited about over the new few months.
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