Burrows keeping options open for Alflaila

Molly Hunter
September 15, 2023 8:19 am

Promising colt was not disgraced in Irish Champion Stakes.

Owen Burrows is considering options at home and abroad for Alflaila after taking plenty of positives from his performance in last weekend’s Irish Champion Stakes.

The four-year-old was a 7-1 chance for the Group One feature at Leopardstown, his second run of the season after returning from a lay-off to land the Group Two York Stakes in July.

But with a slow start putting the Shadwell-owned colt on the back foot from flag-fall, Alflaila was last of all turning for home before making significant inroads on the leaders to finish fifth, in the end beaten just over three lengths by the winner Auguste Rodin.

While disappointed the race did not go as planned, Burrows was not discouraged by the performance and is hoping for strong end to his campaign.

Alflaila at York last season (Mike Egerton/PA)

“He’s grand, he’s come out of Ireland well. It just didn’t really go to plan as such but he seems fine,” the trainer said.

“It wasn’t quite the plan to be that far back, but he can jump a bit slow and round there it was always going to be difficult if he did that.

“Considering he was 10 or 12 lengths down turning in and he got beaten by just over three, I think that’s still a pretty promising performance for his first time in the Group One.

“On a different track and a different day I don’t think he’s going to be too far off, so there were plenty of positives to take from it.”

Alflaila (right) at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

On future plans, Burrows added: “We’re just weighing up our options as to where we go next now.

“That was only his second run this year, he’s in the Champion Stakes, he’s in the Prix Dollar on the Saturday of the Arc weekend which possibly, with the way French races run, might not suit him.

“Then he might be on his travels again though the winter. He’s only had two runs so he can have a busy end to the year.”