MAGIC MINZAAL’S SPRINT FINISH
MINZAAL broke his Group 1 duck at the fifth attempt with a Sprint Cup rout at Haydock to give trainer Owen Burrows a timely boost.
Lambourn-based Burrows began his career in 2016 as private trainer to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, but was forced to open his doors to the public after his patron’s death in March 2021.
Burrows celebrated a first career Group 1 success with Hukum in Epsom’s Coronation Cup in June, and he doubled his tally – with the allimportant autumn yearling sales just round the corner – as Minzaal and Jim Crowley galloped to a three-and-threequarter length supremacy over title-holder Emaraaty Ana.
“It’s a big year for us and it’s tough to attract new owners,” said Burrows, whose four-yearold won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York as a juvenile before injury threatened to derail his career.
“But we keep turning up on these Saturdays and we’re having an amazing year.”
Although successful at Group 3 level this year, Minzaal, carrying Sheikh Hamdan’s silks, had come up short in four previous forays into the top tier – including a three-quarter length second to subsequent Nunthorpe Stakes heroine in Deauville’s Prix Maurice de Gheest last month.
“He’s been knocking on the door for some time,” Burrows added. “Through no fault of his own, he didn’t get a chance last year to show what he can do, and he’s finally got to prove it.”
Minzaal is Ladbrokes’ new 5-2 favourite for the Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot on October 15, when the ground is likely to ride softer than yesterday’s ‘good to firm, firm in places’ that triggered 22 non-runners after the forecasted rain failed to arrive.
Crowley said: “He is equally effective on good to soft as he is on fast ground so we will try and nick another with him.”
■ HASKOY will be added to the field for next Saturday’s Cazoo St Leger at Doncaster after thrilling trainer Ralph Beckett in a gallop yesterday.
The daughter of Golden Horn followed a seven-length debut win at Wolverhampton in July with a neck call in the Listed Galtres Stakes at York last month and Beckett said of the 8-1 chance: “Provided she pulls out well on Monday morning, [owners] Juddmonte have decided to supplement Haskoy for the St Leger.
“I was delighted with her effort in the Galtres.”