Minzaal sights set on first top-level triumph this weekend

‘It would be great if he could get his head in front in a Group One’.

Minzaal will bid to get an elusive Group One alongside his name in Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Owen Burrows’ charge has placed at the highest level on multiple occasions, finishing third in the Middle Park as a juvenile, third in last year’s British Champions Sprint at three and then chasing home Highfield Princess in the Maurice de Gheest earlier this month.

With his French conqueror and subsequent Nunthorpe victor absent from the list of contenders for the Haydock contest, Minzaal heads the ante-post betting for the six-furlong feature as a 9-2 shot with the sponsors.

Burrows – who hit the Group One target for the first time with Hukum in the Coronation Cup – believes the four-year-old has shown the kind of form and consistency necessary to hit the heights and hopes he will rise to the challenge.

Owen Burrows is seeking Group One honours with Minzaal
Owen Burrows is seeking Group One honours with Minzaal (John Walton/PA)

He said: “Minzaal has shown a high level of ability over the three years he has raced and has been knocking on the door of a Group One.

“From myself and my team’s point of view, I’d love to get his head in front in a Group One and he would be a valuable horse then.

“He has run some very solid races this year. I was happy enough with him at York as he had been a bit slow to come to hand and I knew that race would switch him on and it did.

“We tried something at Royal Ascot in putting the cheekpieces on and trying to ride him more prominently, but it didn’t pay off. He then went and won the Hackwood before finishing second in France behind an exceptional filly in Highfield Princess.

“It would be great if he could get his head in front in a Group One as he been placed at that level at two, three and four.”

Naval Crown needs to turn around Deauville form with Minzaal
Naval Crown needs to turn around Deauville form with Minzaal (David Davies/PA

He added: “We hope they go a nice genuine gallop. He has shown a likeness to being slightly held up then you are in the lap of the gods then. He is pretty versatile and I wouldn’t have too many worries about the track.

“It is black and white in the books that we have a Group One which is nice, but when you have one you want two.

“They all mean plenty and big races come with a bit of pressure and you just want your horses to perform.

“Touchwood bar Ascot, where it wasn’t his fault, he has always performed well for us so hopefully he will again.”

While Minzaal could finish only 13th in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, he beaten less than five lengths and could face Charlie Appleby’s Ascot hero Naval Crown again at the weekend, in a race for which 19 have stood their ground.

A shock 33-1 winner in Berkshire, Naval Crown then finished second to the sidelined Alcohol Free in the July Cup before coming home a slightly disappointing fifth in the Maurice de Gheest.

Last year’s winner Emaraaty Ana showed signs of a revival when third in the Nunthorpe at York and is one of two contenders for Kevin Ryan along with Hala Hala Athmani.

Hugo Palmer has three options in Sunday’s German Group Three winner Dubawi Legend, Greenlands Stakes winner Brad The Brief and Commonwealth Cup second Flaming Rib, while Ralph Beckett’s City of York Stakes winner Kinross is also towards the head of the betting.

Art Power and Rohaan, fourth and seventh respectively behind Kinross on the Knavesmire, and Phoenix Sprint winner Go Bears Go are other key names.

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