Tag Archive for: Anmaat

Group One engagement on agenda for classy Anmaat

/in /by

Connections of Anmaat are toying with the idea of running in France if he does not take up his intended engagement in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday week.

The hugely-consistent Owen Burrows-trained five-year-old, who won the Group Two Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp in October, opened this season with a runner-up effort behind 2021 Derby winner Adayar in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month.

The son of Awtaad, who stayed on well under Jim Crowley to get within two and a half lengths of the classy winner, has won six of his 11 starts and placed on the other five occasions.

Now Anmaat could take the step into Group One company for the first time.

Angus Gold, racing manager for the gelding’s owners Shadwell Estates, said: “He has come out of the Gordon Richards well.

“The original plan was always to look at the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland at the end of next week.

“Either that, or the Prix d’Ispahan (May 29). We will look at those, as long as he is in good shape.”

Plans are similarly fluid for the William Haggas-trained Mujtaba, who was beaten a neck by Point Lonsdale in last week’s Huxley Stakes at Chester.

Mujtaba (right) was touched off by Point Lonsdale (left) at Chester
Mujtaba (right) was touched off by Point Lonsdale (left) at Chester (David Davies/PA)

“I don’t know what the plans are as yet,” said Gold. “I thought he ran a good race. Jim (Crowley) was a bit annoyed with himself. He said if he sat right up Ryan’s backside, he thought he would have won it.

“I think that is being a bit harsh. That was only his first run of the season and he is a big, galloping horse.

“I know he has won at Chester, but he’s also run badly there before. I don’t think it suits him. He wants a more galloping track ideally.

“For me, at least it showed he belongs in that sort of company and I thought he ran a very good race.

“He’ll go anywhere where there is a bit of decent ground. He wouldn’t want quick ground.”

Adayar starts out on road to Ascot

/in /by

Derby and King George hero Adayar locks horns with the exciting Anmaat in an intriguing renewal of the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on Friday.

Adayar provided trainer Charlie Appleby with a second Derby success at Epsom two years ago, a victory he proved was no fluke by beating his elders in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Last season was not so smooth for the son of Frankel, he did not make his reappearance until dominating a couple of rivals in a Doncaster conditions race in September, after which he got closest to Bay Bridge in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

With Appleby keen to add a 10-furlong Group One to the five-year-old’s CV before he is retired to stud, he views this Group Three as an ideal starting point ahead of an intended appearance at Royal Ascot.

“We have been delighted with Adayar’s preparation. He worked well in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket last week and it was always the plan to start him off here,” he said on www.godolphin.com.

“The ground is going to be testing and this is very much a prep race ahead of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, but he is the class horse in the field.”

The Moulton Paddocks handler also saddles Highland Avenue in a bid to ensure the four-runner contest does not develop into a tactical affair, adding: “Highland Avenue is a decent horse in his own right, having won the Feilden Stakes and run well on soft ground in the Heron Stakes as a three-year-old

“He will hopefully ensure that there is a decent gallop in the race.”

Anmaat at Longchamp
Anmaat at Longchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)

The biggest threat to Adayar is the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat, who last season won the John Smith’s Cup at York, the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock and the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend in Paris.

The Awtaad gelding is saddled with a Group Two penalty for that latter victory, meaning he has to concede 5lb to Adayar despite being rated 3lb his inferior by the handicapper.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “We’re very much looking forward to seeing him run. He’s got his work cut out, taking on a Derby winner, but we’ve got to start somewhere.

“I don’t know if he wants heavy ground, but a bit of ease won’t do him any harm and Owen has been very happy with him as far as I know and it will be good to get him back in the swing of it.

“We’ll take it one race at a time, but that is obviously the plan in a perfect world, to make him a Group One winner.

“He’s an incredibly tough horse with a great attitude. I don’t think he’s going to want firm ground, so we’ll be guided by the conditions as to whether to he’s a mid-summer horse or not, but let’s take it one step at a time and get this out of the way first.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Regal Reality, who won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over the course and distance four years ago, is the only other runner.

Alflaila pencilled in for June return

/in /by

Owen Burrows will not rush Alflaila back into action, with a late June return on the radar.

The four-year-old won four times for the trainer last term, scooping Group Three success in both the Strensall Stakes and Darley Stakes.

His planned international adventures over the winter were scuppered by injury, but he is now back with Burrows building up to his return later this summer.

“He has come back to me recently,” the trainer said. “He has been rehabbing with Shadwell and they have done a tremendous job with him and he looks magnificent.

“Angus (Gold, racing manager for owner Shadwell) and Richard Hills have been down and we were sort of thinking end of June at the earliest with him. I don’t think we will get him to Royal Ascot because it would just mean trying to press too much.

“The natural progression with him is to try to win a Group Two and I’ve always thought Dubai would suit him. My plan before he got injured was to go to the Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday and if he did well, stay for World Cup night.”

Burrows also has Anmaat to look forward to this term, with the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Prix d’Ispahan as possible starting points for the five-year-old.

The Shadwell-owned gelding went unbeaten in three starts last year, plundering York’s John Smith’s Cup on his return before adding the Rose Of Lancaster in great style then finishing with a battling victory in the Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp.

Having improved more than a stone during the course of 2022, Burrows is now keen to see if he can eke out further improvement from his charge this term – who could bid for top honours on reappearance.

“He’s well and there’s obviously the Tattersalls Gold Cup which comes soon enough maybe, but he appreciates getting his toe in a little bit,” said Burrows.

“He’ll also have an entry in the Prix d’Ispahan and we feel one of the the races will cut up. He’s not a definite for France on May 29, but that’s what we’re thinking, otherwise you will be starting in the Gordon Richards or something with a Group Two penalty.

“We’ll see and we managed to get him to win a John Smith’s Cup first time up, so he is a horse that can run well fresh.

Anmaat at Longchamp
Anmaat at Longchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)

“He’s a gelding and he’s there to race. We would love to make him a Group One winner, obviously that would be great.

“He’s got to obviously step up because he’s 118, but he went from 103 and improved a stone last year. He only had three runs so he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and there is no reason why he can’t improve another few pounds to get up to Group One level.

“Both Anmaat and Alflaila are going to be in the similar sort of races but we should be able to keep them apart.”

Burrows sights set on Group One gold for Anmaat

/in /by

Owen Burrows has Group One goals for the ever-improving Anmaat.

The Shadwell-owned five-year-old has placed in each of his 10 starts, with six victories including an impressive treble that spanned last season.

Starting his campaign with a half-length success in the John Smith’s Cup at York, the bay then left handicapping behind to land the Group Three Rose Of Lancaster Stakes by four lengths at Haydock in August.

He signed off 2022 with a step up to Group Two class at ParisLongchamp in October, winning the Prix Dollar by a head.

Anmaat holds an entry for the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May, but a trip across the Channel to Longchamp is under consideration again as he will also be pencilled in for the Prix Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan.

Anmaat winning the John Smith's Cup
Anmaat winning the John Smith’s Cup (Nigel French/PA)

Burrows said: “He’s good, he’s in strong work. I’ve made an entry for him in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and he’ll also have an entry for those two Group races in France – the Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan. One is at the end of April and one’s at the end of May.

“We’re very pleased with him, fingers crossed we can get him out a bit earlier this year.

“You’ve got Group Threes at Sandown – the Gordon Richards and the Brigadier Gerard – but he’d have a Group Two penalty in those, so I think if we’re happy and he’s showing all the right signs at home, then why not have a crack?

“He was able to win the John Smith’s first time out last year, so he’s a horse we’d like to think we can get ready first time.”

Plans for the return of Hukum, winner of the Group One Coronation Cup on his only domestic start last season, are also under discussion.

Hukum during his Coronation Cup victory
Hukum during his Coronation Cup victory (Tim Goode/PA)

A hind leg injury ended his campaign early, but the full brother to Baaeed was not written off prematurely and after a successful operation, he began the rehabilitation process.

That was also a success and the horse returned to Burrows in due course, where he is being prepared for latter-season targets that could culminate in a bid for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Burrows said: “He’s been back with me quite a while now, he’s just started easy, half-speed work.

“I was speaking to Angus (Gold, Shadwell racing manager) about a month ago about whether we’d be brave enough to go back to Epsom first time out but we’re probably not.

“We’ll probably have a prep run somewhere in May, with a view to the main target being the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and then the races are all pretty mapped out for him.

Hukum winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot
Hukum winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

“The good thing with him is that he’s shown a preference for going on soft ground, so it’s lovely to think he’d be turning up in France in October. That (Arc) would be the main aim, so he’s got more of a second (half of the) season plan.

“He’s rehabbed well and Sheikha Hissa was quite keen to give him another chance. I felt he’d only just really hit a peak, it was impressive what he did at Epsom and I felt he ran a big race in the Sheema Classic considering things didn’t really pan out for him (seventh of 15) – he was only beaten a length and three-quarters.

“If he can continue in that sort of form, then we should have a lot of fun with him this year.”

Burrows also provided an update on Alflaila, who scored a hat-trick of Listed and Group Three victories at the end of last season before sustaining a fracture to his left fetlock.

The injury ruled him out of a Bahrain run in November, but he is making strides in his recovery and is expected back at Burrows’ base in the next few weeks.

Alflaila winning the Strensall Stakes at York
Alflaila winning the Strensall Stakes at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Alflaila is still back at Shadwell, I had an update a few weeks ago and he was back cantering,” he said.

“I’m hoping he’ll be back with me next week or the week after at the latest.

“Touch wood, everything’s going very well, he’s been back cantering for about three weeks and they’re very happy with how he’s healed.”