Outsider Anmaat stuns Champion Stakes field

Anmaat stunned the field to sweep to a surprise victory in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

A 40-1 chance for Owen Burrows and Jim Crowley, the bay was overlooked in the build-up to the contest as it was presumed to be a clash between Economics and Calandagan.

The latter horse was making progress on the inside up the straight, but picking his way through the field behind him was Anmaat.

Crowley was forced to wait for a gap to launch his challenge, but when the space came, Anmaat showed a fine turn of pace to seize the opportunity.

He then swept past 6-4 favourite Calandagan in the dying strides to win by half a length, with 25-1 shot Royal Rhyme back in third.

Anmaat previously tasted Group One glory in last year’s Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp but subsequently suffered an injury that kept him on the sidelines for 439 days.

The six-year-old was restored to full health by the Shadwell team and Burrows, prevailing in a Haydock Group Three on his return before disappointing in the Prix Dollar back in Paris earlier this month.

Burrows said: “We’ve always thought a lot of this horse and I know it’s easy for me to say it now, but I quite fancied him for the Eclipse last year after he won in France.

“Of course, he picked up that complex foot injury which kept him off for the rest of last season and the first part of this.

“He disappointed in France two weeks ago but I felt it was a muddling race, Jim said he could have ridden him a bit better so as long as he was OK, which he was, Sheikha Hissa (of Shadwell) very kindly said we could roll the dice again and she’s been vindicated.”

Ascot has been a happy hunting ground for Burrows, with the Shadwell-owned Hukum winning last year’s King George, and the trainer felt the market had underestimated his contender.

He said: “That was a massive performance, I felt. It’s up there with Hukum winning the King George as my best ever day – Ascot’s quite a lucky place for me!

“There were a few people who rang me this morning who couldn’t believe what sort of price he was – it was the first time he’d ever been out of the first three and I felt he had excuses.

“I’m not a betting man, but I thought 33-1 was a solid each-way price.

“He was locked away and I’ll be honest halfway up the straight I put my binoculars down, I thought he had no chance.

“Then it looked like he’d got a bit of room and he’d be placed but to pick up like he did in the ground. Like Jim said, all the time he was locked away he was actually filling him up because he couldn’t do anything so it sometimes works in your favour.

“Of course you still need the luck then to get the gap and it worked out well.”

Burrows is unsure what the plan will be with Anmaat now, given he only started his season in August.

He added: “He’s taken some big scalps today, it’s that time of year I suppose and we are a fresh horse, it’s only his third run.

“It’s massive to have winners on a day like today. Whether he goes abroad or not, we’ll have to see.”

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