Owen Burrows is looking forward to taking stable star Anmaat to Leopardstown on day one of the Irish Champions Festival next weekend.
The Lambourn trainer has enjoyed plenty of big-race success around the world in recent seasons and seven-year-old Anmaat has flown the Shadwell mast with distinction, winning the 2023 Prix d'Ispahan and 2024 Champion Stakes at Ascot among other top-class efforts.
Since beating Calandagan in a thriller last October, the gelding has run twice this year and gone down fighting on both occasions, finishing runner-up to Los Angeles and Ombudsman in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Prince of Wales's Stakes respectively.
He's now firmly on target for the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes where he appears to be one of the main rivals to Aidan O'Brien's three-year-old Coral-Eclipse winner, Delacroix, the 4/5 antepost favourite with Paddy Power and Sky Bet.
Burrows said on Racing TV's Luck On Sunday programme: "There's plenty of rain forecast for Leopardstown and he's in great shape so the plan is to head over there.
"He proved that day (QIPCO British Champions Day, 2024), it was soft old ground that day and to show that turn of foot on that ground, there's no many that can do that. So that's what I'm hoping now, once we get him back on some soft ground.
"His Prince of Wales's run... in hindsight, maybe Jim (Crowley, jockey) could have sat on him a fraction longer because obviously (William, Buick on winner Ombudsman) was locked up. I'm not saying we were unlucky or anything like that but we might just be a bit better on soft ground."
In terms of potential riding plans, Burrows remains open-minded for Anmaat but is aware he won't want to be caught too far out of his ground having seen his Alflaila finish fifth from well off the pace behind Auguste Rodin and Ballydoyle stablemate Luxembourg in the 2023 renewal.
"We'll drop in a little bit and just take our time," he said. "But obviously Leopardstown is a short straight so it's a little bit different.
"I'm not quite sure how soft it's going to be but if the forecast's correct, there is plenty of rain coming this week. So I'm looking forward to getting him back out as he's in real good form."
Anmaat can be backed at 7/1 to win the Irish Champions Stakes, which is due off at 5.30 on Saturday.
