Dublin Racing Festival among options mooted for Burdett Road

Adam Morgan
December 31, 2023 1:38 pm

Triumph Hurdle hope could also warm-up for the Festival back at Cheltenham.

A trip to the Dublin Racing Festival could be on the agenda for Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road after missing out on an intended engagement at Chepstow over the Christmas period.

A Royal Ascot winner on the Flat when trained by Michael Bell, the three-year-old has made a smooth transition to hurdling and followed up a taking jumps debut at Huntingdon with a taking display at Cheltenham in November.

That saw the gelding installed as most bookmakers’ market leader for the juvenile showpiece on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and he was due to continue his hurdling education in Chepstow’s Finale Juvenile Hurdle.

🥶 Cold from @CobdenHarry
Royal Ascot hero Burdett Road remains unbeaten over hurdles with a last-to-first victory in the GBP 80,000 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial for James Owen at @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/xuIiTwMUKr
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 18, 2023

However, significant rainfall turned conditions severely testing at the South Wales track, with James Owen deciding to save his high-class operator for another day.

A return to Prestbury Park on Cheltenham Trials Day and a trip to Leopardstown’s Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle are top of the possible alternatives.

Owen said: “The horse comes first. It would have been nice to run, but there are plenty of other options. He’s in great order and I couldn’t be happier with him.

“He will either go to Cheltenham on Trials Day and he will also have an entry for Leopardstown in early February, the Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

“We will just pick the most suitable option. We would like to run him once more before the Triumph and timing wise these two races are really good.”

On the chance of Burdett Road being a rare Leopardstown raider from the UK, he added: “It’s an option and we’ve talked about it.

“It’s an early closer, it’s very good prize-money and he doesn’t get a penalty in it. It’s an option we want to have and we will decide nearer the time.

“It’s six weeks out from Cheltenham, so would give us plenty of time.”

A run at either Cheltenham or Leopardstown would give Burdett Road the chance to consolidate his position at the top of the Triumph Hurdle market after both Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino and the Willie Mullins-trained Bunting laid down their claims over Christmas.

Chepstow’s Grade Two was won by Gary Moore’s Salver, who flourished in the gruelling conditions and Owen was more than happy to watch on from the side as Burdett Road skipped that contest.

Burdett Road with winning trainer James Owen (second right) and connections after winning at Cheltenham (Nigel French/PA)

“We were there and it’s a shame the ground went as it did and we just felt we didn’t need to run him on the testing ground,” said Owen.

“He doesn’t have a lot to prove, we know he’s a good horse and he just needs another run going into the race (Triumph) – and unfortunately that wasn’t the day for it.

“It’s a shame, as looking at the forecast it looked like we would get away with it and they were calling the ground good to soft. But they did get a deluge.”