By Duane Fonseca
Trainer Owen Burrows admits he is tempted to point Derby fourth Deira Mile towards the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
The Green Team Racing owned Camelot colt’s only success in five previous starts before the Derby had been gained in a novice event on his seasonal bow at Windsor in April. His previous best prior to the race in four stats as a juvenile was a fourth behind Ancient Wisdom in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October when he outperformed his odds.
But it wasn’t the last time he would do that. Dispatched at long odds in the Derby won by Aidan O’Brien’s star colt City Of Troy, Deira Mile outshone numerous others to finish seven-and-a-half lengths behind the Ballydoyle superstar, leaving Burrows wondering about his chances in the Irish equivalent on June 30 at The Curragh, a track the trainer believes could be right up Deira Mile’s alley.
Lambourn based Burrows liked what he saw at Epsom as Deira Mile picked up speed under Jim Crowley and outran a number of his rivals including the aforementioned Ancient Wisdom (eighth) to finish fourth in testing conditions on ground deemed ‘good to soft.
Speaking to Racingpost.com, Burrows said: “I’m not saying we were unlucky in any way, but it wasn’t the plan to be that far back. We had to sit in mid-division he just stepped a bit slow and that was where Jim unfortunately found himself.
“It was a big run down the outside, we did have a nice clear run in doing that. But the winner had a nice trip down the inner, the second and third had a nice trip, I thought it was a big run. We’ll see how he is through this week but the Irish Derby could suit him, the nature of the track at the Curragh I think would suit him a lot better.
“We’ll play it by ear, he’s a Leger horse and that’s what Jim (Crowley) felt as well so that will be the ultimate aim. It’s about a month away, the Irish Derby, so he’ll have a bit of time. It’s not definite he’ll go, but we’ll have a look.”
Burrows’ stable star for now remains the Shadwell-owned Anmaat, who won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp last May but hasn’t run since due to injury. Burrows expects the six-year-old Awtaad gelding to recover by the end of July and has plans to aim him at the Irish Champions Festival in September.
“He’s with me, he’s been back for a little while now. He won’t be going to Ascot as he won’t be ready until the end of July, probably. Fingers crossed, he’s busy but we’ve no plans as such,” Burrows revealed.
“I’ve given him an Irish Champion Stakes entry and we hope he’ll come to hand at the end of July. He had quite a complex foot injury when we were prepping him for the Eclipse and that was a pain, but, touch wood, he’s had plenty of time to rehab back at Shadwell.
“He looks well, he’s moving well but like myself, he’s carrying that bit of extra condition that he could do with shifting! We’ll get busy over the next couple of months and all being well he should be ready by the end of July.”
