3 minute read

Owen Burrows looks to continue his fine season when Anmaat steps up to Group Two level in the Qatar Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp on Saturday.

The Lambourn-based handler has been operating at above 30 per cent this season and has tasted Group One success with both Hukum in the Coronation Cup and Minzaal in Haydock's Sprint Cup.

Now his impressive Rose Of Lancaster winner attempts to take the next move up the ladder following his facile four-length rout of Grocer Jack on Merseyside.

"He's in been in good form since Haydock, we've been really pleased with him," said Burrows. "Progression will hopefully see him go over there with every chance.

"As I said at the time, I thought he would run well and go close (at Haydock), but I didn't actually see him producing that type of performance – he took us all a bit by surprise that day. Hopefully he can continue in that vein.

"It's very wet over there and raining plenty, but it was the easy side of good at Haydock and I don't see it being too much of a problem unless it gets absolutely bottomless. We won't worry too much about that.

"He's a lightly-raced horse this year and this has been the plan since Haydock as unfortunately there isn't too many races for him. Fingers crossed, if he continues on his upward curve, he could be one who next year is knocking on the door in all of those top mile and a quarter races."

Anmaat's vanquished Haydock rival Grocer Jack is one of two for William Haggas in the race alongside Addeybb, with the Somerville Lodge handler looking to back up Dubai Honour's victory in the 10-furlong event 12 months ago.

"Addeybb had a bit of a break in the summer as we couldn't keep training him with no prospect of soft ground," said Maureen Haggas, wife and assistant to the trainer.

"He probably does need it a little bit, but he looks great and is in good form."

On the stable's second runner, she added: "Grocer Jack is in good shape, he was pretty impressive at Newbury three runs back, if we could have more of the same that would be good."

There is further UK interest in the form of Simon and Ed Crisford's West Wind Blows. Winner of four of his six starts, he took the Prix de Prince d'Orange at ParisLongchamp on his previous start.

Ed Crisford said: "He won that Group Three over a mile and a quarter and won well. He is in great form and obviously it is a hot race, but he is an improving horse.

"If it rains a lot, we wouldn't run him on very soft ground, but with the amounts they are talking about, I think he'd get through it."

Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant, who missed out on a place in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe owing to the field size, heads the market for the Qatar Prix de Royallieu.

A regular Group One winner in Australia, she takes on nine rivals, who include Sea La Rosa, who has won three of her four starts this term and was runner up in the other.

She runs on the back of consecutive Group Two victories for the Haggas yard.

"She's been fantastic," said Maureen Haggas. "She's as tough as old boots and hasn't run a bad race all year. She's now in the top grade, but she's a tough filly and we'll be sad to lose her at the end of the year, as she'll be off to stud I expect."

Kevin Ryan's Triple Time, who completed a Haydock hat-trick in the Group Three Superior Mile last time out, and William Knight's Checkandchallenge, a Deauville Group Three scorer on his previous run, head the British challenge in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

Both horses step up in class for the mile contest and Knight is under no illusions at the task facing Checkandchallenge.

He said: "It is tough. He is a Group Three winner, so this seems the right place to go. We missed a week with him, so we weren't able to go to the Joel Stakes.

"He seems in good nick now, but you have the Aga Khan's horse (Erevann) and Francis-Henri Graffard's horse (The Revenant), who loves it around there. It will be tough, but I think he'll like the track and the ground shouldn't be a bother to him.

"It will be interesting to see what we have got, now that he steps up in grade.

"He has a good draw and (jockey) Maxime Guyon knows the track well. I think conditions will suit, but it is whether he is good enough to step up to Group Two company, which I would like to think he is."

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Erevann, who is owned by the Aga Khan, heads the market following a narrow defeat in the Group One Prix Jacques le Marois, which blew his unbeaten record.

The owner's racing manager, Georges Rimaud, feels the drop in class will help the Dubawi colt.

He said: "He ran really well in the Jacques le Marois behind Inspiral, beaten just a neck and a neck.

"At the beginning of the year we considered him for the (French) Guineas but we waited and ran him in a Group Three instead, which he won.

"He went into the Jacques le Marois and ran very well, but it is normal to drop back to a Group Two. It will still be a tough contest but he's working well well so we are very happy with him."