By Sam Turner -
Alflaila could be set for a foreign recovery mission after failing to fire in last week’s G1 Juddmonte International at York.
Trainer Owen Burrows is considering engagements abroard for the Shadwell-owned five-year-old who was hampered by a slow start behind all-the-way winner City Of Troy on the Knavesmire and could only beat one of his 12 rivals home.
Alflaila had successfully defended his crown in the York Stakes over the course and distance on his previous start, however he was never competitive in the Juddmonte, a race run in a course record time.
“Alflaila just had one of his days. He’s done it before in the past, he can be slow away, and you can’t be giving them a head-start in races like that,” said the trainer.
“Ryan (Moore) got his fractions spot-on (on City Of Troy) and horses didn’t come back and Alflaila likes to pass horses, so Jim (Crowley) didn’t give him a hard time once he knew it wasn’t happening.
“We’ll see where we go from here, there’s a few options about, possibly not in this country. He won’t go to Ireland as it doesn’t really suit him round Leopardstown, so we’ll look elsewhere.”
ALYANAABI TO STAY IN TRAINING
Burrows also had an update on fellow Shadwell trainee Alyanaabi, who similarly failed to land a telling blow in the Strensall Stakes.
The three-year-old was fifth in both the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes earlier in the season, but subsequently finished fourth as a hot favourite for Newbury’s Steventon Stakes before trailing home last of nine at York.
Burrows added: “Alyanaabi is going to get a full MOT and go back to Shadwell for a break because his last two runs have been very disappointing and something is not quite right.
“We’ll finish him for the year and get him checked out and look forward to him coming back next year.”
