Alyanaabi wins at Newmarket

Native Trail's Dewhurst: Owen Burrows excited by Alyanaabi chance

Horse Racing

Tue October 10, 2023 · 3y ago

Owen Burrows is looking forward to running Alyanaabi in Saturday's Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The son of Too Darn Hot will bid to make it three wins from four career starts when stepping up to the top table for the first time at the weekend in the £500,000 seven-furlong feature which 12 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 Three Tattersalls Stakes on the Rowley Mile last month. And although the Aidan O’Brien-trained City Of Troy, who has not been seen out since July when winning the Group Two bet365 Superlative Stakes on the July Course, is odds-on to maintain his unbeaten record the Lambourn handler expects a bold show from his emerging talent.

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 Three, 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 only blot on the copy book of Alyanaabi is his defeat on his second start when fourth at Ascot. However Burrows is not too concerned about that reversal with the form of that race subsequently turning out to be some of the best on offer.

He added: “In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he run 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 One 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.”

The prospect of a small field on Saturday could see the race turn into a tactical affair but Burrows, whose previous runner in the race Albasheer finished sixth in the 2020 renewal, believes it will not prove an inconvenience to Alyanaabi.

Burrows said: “I felt he had to quicken at a few stages in the Group Three 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 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.”

Whatever the result at the weekend Burrows believes Alyanaabi can still go off in pursuit of Classic glory next season once stepped up to a mile in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas which will be his main early season target in 2024.

Burrows added: “He is a Group Three 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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