Burdett Road gave trainer James Owens more options. © Photo Healy Racing
Connections of Burdett Road are likely to delay a return to hurdling following his dominant win at Newmarket last week.
The four-year-old son of Muhaarar made all to win the Listed Godolphin Stakes by eight and a half lengths from the odds-on favourite Military Academy.
That win over a mile and a half is likely to shelve his planned return to obstacles in the Masterson Hurdle at Cheltenham later this month in favour of a trip to Ascot for the Long Distance Cup.
Burdett Road has won two of his three starts over hurdles, going down by 10 lengths to the smart Sir Gino in the Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in the other, but the Cheltenham Festival remains the ultimate target.
Injury ruled the James Owen-trained gelding out of the Festival last year and owner-breeder Tim Gredley said: “I think that will change the plans. I have to say James Owen has done an amazing job with him because when he came back again, he was a bit keen and so on and so forth.
“He’s always maintained that if he does drop the bridle and settles down, he’ll be a good stayer on the Flat and I wouldn’t say last week was his last chance on the Flat before he goes back hurdling. They wanted to try something different on the tactics and it has kind of improved him no end.
“We’re in no rush to go hurdling. He’s obviously had a good break coming into the season so he doesn’t need a rest. We’ve got an entry on Champions Day in the stayers’ race and we’d probably monitor that before we go hurdling.
“It’s all about Cheltenham isn’t it? I know you’re not meant to say it, but it is. It’ll be great and it’s good for us that’s he’s running in some good races with some good prize money on the Flat.
“We’ll have one more Flat race and James will probably have a target mapped out for him over hurdles. I know there was the Masterson at Cheltenham, but I’m not sure how that works timings wise if we go to Ascot. Otherwise we’ll just take it how it goes.”
Ambiente Friendly is likely to make his final appearance of the season in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
The Derby runner-up was last seen when finishing last of the five runners in the Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp last month, but Gredley said a short break has done him the world of good.
He said: “We’ve actually had him at home for a few weeks to give him a change of scenery and he looks great.
“He’s actually just gone back in on Monday and it’s up to the Fanshawes what they’d like to do, but he’s really, really in good order and he’s enjoyed a couple of weeks out in the field so the next couple of weeks will tell them if we go again or not, but the Champion Stakes is definitely on the radar.
“He’s a bit like Burdett Road, if he drops the bridle and gives himself a breather he will stay a mile and a half all day long. At the minute he just seems to be getting a bit revvy, so a mile and a quarter in testing conditions at Ascot at this point in his career seems to be the only logical step.
“We’ve had a few offers for him privately and that’s probably a decision that Dad (Bill) needs to make, but we’ll absolutely keep him in training next year. I think he’ll be a better horse next year. He’s still got some filling out to do and some growing, so probably a winter will give him some improvement.”
