Burrows looking forward to trying Alflaila over longer trip

Owen Burrows’ Alflaila is preparing to kick off his 2025 campaign with a run in the valuable HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar on Saturday.

The six-year-old, who is owned and was bred by Shadwell, is a seven-time winner whose victories include two successive renewals of the Group Two York Stakes.

His CV also features creditable runs in the 2023 Irish Champion Stakes and last year’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and the bay wrapped up his 2024 campaign with a fourth-placed effort in the Bahrain International Trophy.

The bulk of his recent starts have been over a mile and two furlongs, but the entire son of Dark Angel will step up to a mile and a half for the first time in Doha this weekend.

“Alflaila is out there now, he travelled over at the weekend and my boys are very happy with him,” said Burrows.

“We’re stepping him up to a mile and a half, which will be the furthest he has ever been, but to be honest, he looks as if he wants that now, as he’s a bit more of a grinder these days.”

Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance looks the horse to beat, as he defends his title in the contest and has thrived since, with Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit another British-trained runner – and one Alflaila has defeated before.

“Charlie’s horse will be very hard to beat but there’s King’s Gambit in there and we’ve got a form line through him from York,” said Burrows.

“He’s obviously another year older but if he can go and run his race and he does stay a mile and a half, then that gives us a few more options.

“It’s massive prize money and there’s only the eight runners, so not a big field. If we can sneak into the prize money, then that’d be great and it would be worth the trip.”

The outcome of the race will inform future discussions on the season ahead for Alflaila, who could be given further Middle Eastern targets were he to shine in Doha.

“He’s also in the Sheema Classic, so if he did happen to run well, then we could go there. I’m sure it will be very competitive, a stronger race, but who knows?

“How he goes at the weekend will determine what we do next with him and what we do back over here throughout the turf season.”