Alflaila pencilled in for June return

Dual Group Three winner set for rise in class.

Owen Burrows will not rush Alflaila back into action, with a late June return on the radar.

The four-year-old won four times for the trainer last term, scooping Group Three success in both the Strensall Stakes and Darley Stakes.

His planned international adventures over the winter were scuppered by injury, but he is now back with Burrows building up to his return later this summer.

“He has come back to me recently,” the trainer said. “He has been rehabbing with Shadwell and they have done a tremendous job with him and he looks magnificent.

“Angus (Gold, racing manager for owner Shadwell) and Richard Hills have been down and we were sort of thinking end of June at the earliest with him. I don’t think we will get him to Royal Ascot because it would just mean trying to press too much.

“The natural progression with him is to try to win a Group Two and I’ve always thought Dubai would suit him. My plan before he got injured was to go to the Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday and if he did well, stay for World Cup night.”

Burrows also has Anmaat to look forward to this term, with the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Prix d’Ispahan as possible starting points for the five-year-old.

The Shadwell-owned gelding went unbeaten in three starts last year, plundering York’s John Smith’s Cup on his return before adding the Rose Of Lancaster in great style then finishing with a battling victory in the Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp.

Having improved more than a stone during the course of 2022, Burrows is now keen to see if he can eke out further improvement from his charge this term – who could bid for top honours on reappearance.

“He’s well and there’s obviously the Tattersalls Gold Cup which comes soon enough maybe, but he appreciates getting his toe in a little bit,” said Burrows.

“He’ll also have an entry in the Prix d’Ispahan and we feel one of the the races will cut up. He’s not a definite for France on May 29, but that’s what we’re thinking, otherwise you will be starting in the Gordon Richards or something with a Group Two penalty.

“We’ll see and we managed to get him to win a John Smith’s Cup first time up, so he is a horse that can run well fresh.

Anmaat at Longchamp
Anmaat at Longchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)

“He’s a gelding and he’s there to race. We would love to make him a Group One winner, obviously that would be great.

“He’s got to obviously step up because he’s 118, but he went from 103 and improved a stone last year. He only had three runs so he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and there is no reason why he can’t improve another few pounds to get up to Group One level.

“Both Anmaat and Alflaila are going to be in the similar sort of races but we should be able to keep them apart.”

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