Anmaat (nearest)© Photo Healy Racing
Anmaat makes his return to action from over 400 days off in the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.
Winner of the Group Three contest contest two years ago for Owen Burrows, which came shortly after a major handicap success in the John Smith’s Cup, he ended that campaign with a gutsy victory in the Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp.
Last season he returned with a satisfactory effort behind Derby winner Adayar at Newmarket and took his form to new heights with Group One honours in the Prix d’Ispahan. However, in being prepared for the Coral-Eclipse he picked up an injury and has not been seen since.
“We still don’t know if we’ve seen the best of him yet, he’s lightly raced – just 12 races as a six-year-old, which is not many,” said Burrows.
“It will be great to see him back and all being well he’ll run a nice race and we can start planning then for the rest of the year.
“He needed his first run last year in the Gordon Richards behind Adayar when he had a penalty and I’m sure it will be similar this time, but as long as he runs a nice race and shows his old enthusiasm we can look forward then.”
The William Haggas-trained Al Mubhir arrives on the back of a good Listed win at Sandown, a career-best effort on a step up to 10 furlongs.
Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to his owner, Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, said: “Any rain will be a help, but I think we saw a massive improvement in the way he travelled at Sandown up at a mile and a quarter and this is hopefully what is going to help him find more improvement, which he will need because it is a strong event.
“I was very impressed with him at Sandown and he will be better with a little bit of cut in the ground – as long as it’s good he will be fine, but any rain would be appreciated.
“I do think the mile and a quarter will bring about further improvement and I like to think he will be at least 7/8lb better over that trip than he was a mile.
“Obviously Anmaat will take a lot of beating and he won a Group One last time. He’s got the class about him and chased home a Derby winner at Newmarket before that and as well as being a consistent horse, his level form is very high.”
Haggas also runs Mujtaba, but Richard Hughes’ Bracken’s Laugh and John and Thady Gosden’s Lord North were taken out on Saturday morning.
Jack Channon’s Certain Lad is no spring chicken at eight but appears as good as ever having won a Listed race in France by seven lengths last time out.
“Certain Lad has been a brilliant horse for us the last few years and he’s been in great form since France, we’ve just been waiting for some decent ground that overlaps with the right race for him,” said Channon.
“Haydock is a course that suits him down to the ground, he has a great record there and if the ground is good then it will be perfect for him and I think he goes there with a great chance.”
