Anmaat hunting Group One gold at ParisLongchamp

PA Sport Reporters
May 28, 2023 3:38 pm

Prix d’Ispahan challenge for Owen Burrows-trained gelding.

Anmaat seeks to break his Group One duck at the first time of asking when he takes on six rivals in the Group One Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp on Monday.

The Owen Burrows-trained five-year-old was unbeaten in three runs last term and having stepped out of handicap company, won the Group Three Rose of Lancaster at Haydock and followed up with Group Two success in the 10-furlong Prix Dollar on Arc weekend.

The Shadwell-owned Awtaad gelding drops back half a furlong for his return to the same Paris track, having chased home former Derby winner Adayar on his seasonal bow in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket.

Photo finish! Anmaat wins the Group 2 Qatar Prix Dollar for @JimCrowley1978 and @ojburrows74 at @paris_longchamp pic.twitter.com/AZ2uJuiWTd
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 1, 2022

Burrows – on a high after stable star Hukum got the better of Derby hero Desert Crown at Sandown on Thursday evening – felt the Prix d’Ispahan was a slightly easier option than Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh for Jim Crowley’s mount.

He said: “He obviously has a progressive profile and I thought it was a solid enough run first time up at Newmarket. He had it to do with that 5lb penalty and stayed on well enough. I didn’t want to go and stick him straight into a Group One on his first run of the year, where he might have just started coming forward for a run.

“He seems to be in good form. There is no such thing as an easy Group One.

“He was in the race in Ireland, but with Vadeni getting supplemented, and Bay Bridge and Luxembourg in there, we felt if ever there was an easier Group One, this was it.

“He won at Longchamp last year and he goes there with a good chance.”

David Simcock’s Light Infantry, third in the bet365 Mile on his return, before a close-up seventh to Modern Games in the Lockinge, tackles this trip for the first time and provides further British interest.

Buckaroo made a winning start to his four-year-old campaign on first start since finishing sixth in last season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas, when taking a heavy-ground Listed race over a mile at Leopardstown last month.

His trainer, Joseph O’Brien, hopes a step back up in trip will provide further improvement.

“It looked a suitable spot for him slightly stepping up in trip from his first run of the year,” he said.

“It was a lovely comeback run after a layoff and hopefully he will have come forward from then. I think the trip should be fine for him hopefully he can run a good race.”

There is a strong challenge for the home guard with Prix Dollar runner-up Junko representing Andre Fabre and Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Erevann being saddled by Jean-Claude Rouget.

Onesto (right) bids to land a second Group One success (Donall Farmer/PA)

Onesto, who won the Grand Prix de Paris in July last year and was subsequently beaten half a length by Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Luxembourg in the Irish Champion Stakes in September, makes his return for Francois Chappet.

The four-year-old Frankel colt has not run since November when a creditable seventh of 18 in the Japan Cup.

“The horse is well,” said Chappet. “He was supposed to run three weeks ago in the Prix Ganay, but the ground was definitely a bit disgusting so we decided to wait.

“I’m happy and the horse is working well. This is his first time out since November and he is the only one in the race who hasn’t run yet this season. It isn’t the main target for this this year, but he will run well.”

Group Three winner Facteur Cheval completes the line-up.