3 minute read
Owen Burrows admits it is ‘massively exciting’ to be represented in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes by Alyanaabi, who he hopes can put his previous course and distance experience to good use in the Group 1 at Newmarket on Saturday.
The son of Too Darn Hot will be stepping up to Group 1 level for the first time in the £500,000 seven-furlong feature which eight colts currently remain in contention for.
After losing his unbeaten record in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July, Alyanaabi bounced back to winning ways when getting up on the line to land the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes on the Rowley Mile last month.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained City Of Troy will be a warm order to remain unbeaten on the back of his hugely impressive performance in the Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes on the July Course, but Burrows is more than happy to take on the Coolmore-owned favourite with his colt.
Burrows said: "When I was with Barry [Hills] for that first year Massaat was second to Air Force Blue [in the Dewhurst Stakes], but it is nice to have one ourselves and we have always thought a lot of him.
"He would have been a slightly unlucky loser last time out in the Group 3 [Tattersalls Stakes], but he just managed to put his head down in time.
"To have the third favourite in the Dewhurst is massively exciting and this is what it is all about.
"He is a horse we really like, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in it. As you well know, it is always a bonus when they have acted on the track.
"We left France a couple of weekends ago disappointed after Hukum's defeat in the Arc and it would be an amazing end to the season if we could come away with a Dewhurst winner."
The sole loss on Alyanaabi's CV came when fourth at Ascot on his second career outing but the form has worked out nicely and with the ground possibly softer than ideal that day, Burrows is unphased by the Ascot defeat.
The Lambourn handler added: "In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he ran tidy enough, but that wasn't his proper running. He got a little bit shut up in behind and didn't get out, but when he did get out, he didn't show the speed he does at home.
"Jim [Crowley, jockey] felt the slightly softer ground didn't play to his strengths, so it was good once we got him on faster ground last time to see him show the speed we had seen at home.
"The last forecast I saw suggested the track was going to get ten millimetres of rain and we know what Newmarket is like as it will soak it up like a sponge. As long as we get good ground, it will be fine.
"That Ascot race has turned out to be pretty smart as the winner Rosallion has won the Group 1 in France [Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere] the runner-up Al Musmak has won a Listed race and was second in the Royal Lodge, and Dancing Gemini, who finished fifth, has also won a Listed race at Doncaster.
"Even though he got beat at Ascot it was still a good race and the form is stacking up well."
With O'Brien holding six of the twelve current entries and a handful of them unlikely to be lining up come Saturday, it's possible only six or seven runners could be declared for the Group 1 prize. However, Burrows is not concerned about the prospects of a small field for his runner Alyanaabi.
Burrows said: "I felt he had to quicken at a few stages in the Group 3 last time. He had to quicken down the hill and he had to quicken going up the hill.
"I'm not concerned if there is a lack of pace in the race as this horse has won over six furlongs so if it did turn into a sprint late on, I wouldn't be concerned. He is pretty versatile.
"We always felt he was this level and the fact I pitched him in a Listed race on his second start instead of going for a novice race under a penalty suggested that.
"He has always shown a fair level and it wasn't out of the realms of possibility he would be rocking up in a race like this."
Another good showing on the Rowley Mile this Saturday could see Alyanaabi back at the same venue for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas next May, with connections dreaming of Classic glory.
Burrows added: "He is a Group 3 winner now and hopefully that is not the end of it.
"He is a lovely big scopey horse and it looks like he will get a mile all day long.
"We are all dreaming that he will hopefully be a Guineas horse next year."
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