Burrows has faith in Alyanaabi for Dewhurst bid

Colt set for exciting clash with Guineas favourite City Of Troy.

Owen Burrows is confident Alyanaabi can make his presence felt in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

A winner on his Salisbury debut in June, the son of Too Darn Hot then finished fourth behind subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot.

Alyanaabi got back on the winning trail in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over the Dewhurst course and distance late last month- and while Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy is expected to prove hard to beat this weekend, Burrows is hopeful his colt will put up a bold showing.

“To have the third favourite in the Dewhurst is massively exciting and this is what it is all about,” said the Lambourn handler.

“He would have been a slightly unlucky loser last time out in the Group Three, but he just managed to put his head down in time.

“He is a horse we really like, and it will be interesting to see how he fares on Saturday. As you well know, it is always a bonus when they have acted on the track.

“We left France a couple of weekends ago disappointed after Hukum’s defeat in the Arc and it would be an amazing end to the season if we could come away with a Dewhurst winner.”

Trainer Owen Burrows has high hopes for Alyanaabi
Trainer Owen Burrows has high hopes for Alyanaabi (John Walton/PA)

While Alyanaabi was not disgraced in being beaten just under five lengths by Rosallion at the end of July, Burrows is adamant his star juvenile is better than he showed on that occasion.

He added: “In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he ran tidy enough, but that wasn’t his proper running. He got a little bit shut up in behind and didn’t get out, but when he did get out he didn’t show the speed he does at home.

“Jim (Crowley) felt the slightly softer ground didn’t play to his strengths, so it was good once we got him on faster ground last time to see him show the speed we had seen at home.

“That Ascot race has turned out to be pretty smart as the winner Rosallion has won the Group One in France, the runner up Al Musmak has won a Listed race and was second in the Royal Lodge, and Dancing Gemini, who finished fifth, has also won a Listed race at Doncaster.

“Even though he got beat at Ascot it was still a good race and the form is stacking up well.”

Burrows hopes Alyanaabi can on Saturday prove himself a legitimate candidate for the 2000 Guineas back on the Rowley Mile next spring.

“He is a Group Three winner now and hopefully that is not the end of it,” he said.

“He is a lovely big scopey horse and it looks like he will get a mile all day long.

“We are all dreaming that he will hopefully be a Guineas horse next year.”

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