Decisive Kempton score by Epic Challenge
5 July 2018
Keep Dancing pictured last year with her Dark Angel foal
Epic Challenge became our latest homebred winner on Wednesday evening with a decisive score in the 32Red Casino Handicap, a qualifier for the London Mile Series.
In doing so, the son of Mastercraftsman also formed part of an across-the-card four-timer for his trainer Roger Varian.
Epic Challenge came into the race having shown fair form in his three previous starts, notably when a short head to Qaroun in a Goodwood novice in May. Always prominent under Andrea Atzeni on Wednesday, he pounced just over a furlong out and drew away to win by two lengths from Apex King, a former Listed winner.
“Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Thompson, Saleh and Imad, Sheikh Ahmed and Steve Parkin on their victories this evening and it was great to start July with such a bang,” said Roger Varian on his website in reflection of his yard’s four-timer. “Hopefully we can continue the momentum into the major festivals over the next few weeks and all four horses look capable of winning again across the course of the summer.”
Epic Challenge is the second winner out of Keep Dancing after Special Season, who was rated 100 in his pomp for William Haggas. Keep Dancing, a winning Distant Music half-sister to July Stakes winner Alhebayeb purchased by Tony Nerses for 70,000gns at the 2012 Tattersalls December Sale, also has a yearling colt by Dark Angel and is in foal to Helmet.
Epic Challenge is catalogued as Lot 598 in next week’s Tattersalls July Sale.