The Nurlan Bizakov-owned Charyn got the 2024 Flat turf season off to a flyer with a clear cut success in the Listed Doncaster Mile on very soft ground yesterday afternoon. The four-year-old Dark Angel colt was providing trainer Roger Varian with a fourth win in the valuable race, following earlier triumphs with Belardo, Zabeel Prince (both by Lope De Vega) and Sharja Bridge (Oasis Dream).
Settled towards the rear by Silvestre de Sousa, celebrating a first Stakes success since serving a ten-month ban imposed in Hong Kong and cementing a potentially exciting link-up with the Varian stable, he made smooth headway into contention with three furlongs left to run. Last year’s winner Astral Beau (Brazen Beau) and Grey’s Monument (Territories) had dictated matters to that point, but Charyn was able to take their measure inside the final two furlongs and soon began to draw impressively clear. He galloped past the line three and a half lengths in front of Astral Beau, who was in turn five and a half lengths ahead of Grey’s Monument.
Bred by Grangemore Stud and a 250,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 purchase, Charyn lifted the Gr.2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte over 6f during a profitable two-year-old season. Despite failing to win at three, he was runner-up in the Gr.3 Greenham Stakes on his return, and later finished fourth in the Gr.1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, third in the Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes, and third in the Gr.1 Sussex Stakes, to place himself amongst the highest rated milers of his generation.He took full advantage of the drop to Listed company yesterday but is likely to go immediately back up in grade, with the Gr.2 Sandown Mile and Gr.1 Lockinge Stakes reportedly on his agenda. Charyn is a full-brother to the Gr.2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Wings Of War. They are the only runners to date out of the multiple Listed-placed two-time winner Futoon (Kodiac), whose dam is a full-sister to the Gr.2 Mill Reef Stakes winner and Gr.1-placed Galeota (Mujadil) and a half-sister to the Listed River Eden Stakes winner Loulwa (Montjeu; dam of the Listed Prix Hampton winner Justineo), plus the dam of the Gr.3-winning half-brothers Brown Sugar (Tamayuz) and Burnt Sugar (Lope De Vega).