Cracking end to the year leaves Burrows with much to look forward to

Owen Burrows is looking forward to 2025 with relish after a stellar end to the season.

Despite Deira Mile finishing fourth in the both the Derby and St Leger, Burrows was a little down on winners and especially prize-money heading into the final weeks of the season.

Then he saw Nakheel win the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, Anmaat take the Champion Stakes in spectacular fashion and Raqiya score at the Breeders’ Cup meeting.

“The last few weeks have been incredible. I’d been happy enough with how the season had gone up to then, but without Hukum we were down on winners and prize-money,” said Burrows.

“I felt we’d still been punching above our weight a little, Deira Mile was fourth in the Derby and the St Leger, but our two-year-olds were backwards, we’ve still got half a dozen or so to run.

“Grabbing a winner at Del Mar was great and obviously Nakheel won the Park Hill and she stays in training next year.

“We’ll be looking to get some Group One black type for her now. Cut in the ground is important to her so she probably won’t run much in the summer, and the step up in trip has helped so she won’t be running over less than a mile and a half.

“If everything goes well you could see her ending up in the Fillies & Mares on Champions Day.”

There is no debate about his star performer, though.

“Anmaat was the undoubted highlight, he’ll be seven next year but he stays in training and he’s never been over-raced,” he said.

“We had a clear run this season with him and he showed what he could do. Obviously he disappointed in France when Jim (Crowley) admitted he probably made his ground up too soon on the wrong part of the track, but they can all have an off-day.

“We had him checked over when he got back, all the signs were good and I’m just grateful Sheikha Hissa (owner) let us run him again just two weeks later.

“Turning into the straight I could see he was still travelling but had nowhere to go – I might have let a few swear words go at my wife! But he did well to pick up again after being almost flattened. He’s a very honest horse.

“All those top 10-furlong races are there for him next year. He’s won nine of his 15 races, which is some record.”