Lady Of Spain victory ‘means the world’ to Ray Dawson

Roger Varian’s Lady Of Spain overcame a lengthy absence to remain unbeaten in winning an eventful BetMGM Atalanta Stakes at Sandown.

Last seen landing a Listed race on the Deauville all-weather track in December, that was her fourth win from four outings.

This represented another step up in class to Group Three company, but she looked to face a tough ask when Colin Keane brought the progressive Blue Bolt down the centre of the track.

She began to idle close home, though, and the Sandown hill claimed another victim as Lady Of Spain (14-1) stayed on strongly under Ray Dawson to win by half a length.

Ralph Beckett’s Skellet ran a remarkable race in third, having clipped heels early and nearly being brought down before making impressive headway on just her second start of the season.

The winner was halved in price to 10-1 for the Sun Chariot Stakes by Paddy Power.

It was Dawson’s first winner since returning from a fractured wrist and he said: “I don’t have an awful lot to do with her at home, Roger spoke to me this morning and said they really like her.

“Obviously she’s not run for a while, had never been on turf and was encountering soft ground, so there were a lot of questions we asked of her and in fairness she answered all of them.

“She’s handled conditions and the time off the track has been no problem, so she seems a proper filly.”

On the importance of the winner, he added: “I’m in at Roger’s most days and everyone wants to get winners for him and Roger spreads the rides out very fairly. To get a winner on a Saturday and a big day like this means the world.”