Ebor contender Burdett Road closing in on racecourse return

Burdett Road is nearing a return to the racecourse, with connections hoping to have a shot at the Sky Bet Ebor later in the summer.

A Royal Ascot winner when trained by Michael Bell, the Gredley family-owned four-year-old has since thrived over hurdles for James Owen, winning his first two outings over timber before suffering his first defeat in that sphere at the hands of Sir Gino on Cheltenham Festival Trials day.

He was being prepared for a Triumph Hurdle rematch with Nicky Henderson’s star juvenile before suffering an injury setback which curtailed his jumping progress, but his team always had their eye on returning to the level during the summer in search of valuable staying prizes.

Having now returned to full work, Burdett Road is being prepared for his reappearance before marching on to York for their £500,000 feature on August 24.

“He is in full training and we are planning to run him at the end of July or early August as a prep race and then he will go for the Ebor,” said Owen.

“That has been the plan for a while, we’re really happy with him, he’s had a nice break and is training well.

“The plan is to go to the Ebor and he could be an exciting horse for the race. He will definitely go back hurdling (at some point), but the Ebor could decide where we go afterwards.”

While Burdett Road has been on the sidelines, it is Too Friendly who has flown the flag for both Owen and the Gredleys in the top staying handicaps, finishing fourth in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle last Saturday.

The seven-time scorer is set to go under the hammer at the Tattersalls July Sales, where his training team will be sorry to see him depart.

Owen continued: “I thought that was a great run at Newcastle and he was slightly unlucky – he could have finished third with a clearer run, but he ran really well and he showed he stays the two miles.

“He does go to the July sales, but he is a very good dual-purpose horse that can run in all the big handicaps, whether that is over hurdles or on the Flat.

“For me, if he wasn’t to sell, he’d be an ideal type to go back to Market Rasen for the race he won last year (Summer Handicap Hurdle). He’s given us all a lot of fun and has done well for us.”