Tag Archive for: Prix d’Ispahan

Anmaat battles for Group One glory at ParisLongchamp

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Anmaat secured his first Group One success when leading home a British one-two in the Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp.

The five-year-old progressed rapidly throughout an unbeaten 2022 which culminated in a Group Two success in the Prix Dollar at the same track on Arc weekend.

And following a pleasing return behind Adayar in the rearranged Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket, the Owen Burrows-trained runner showed his liking for the French capital once again on Monday afternoon.

Ridden with patience by Jim Crowley in the 10-furlong contest as David Simcock’s Light Infantry dictated terms on the front end from Joseph O’Brien’s Buckaroo, Anmaat was asked to go through the gears and deliver his challenge when angled out by his rider in the home straight.

But with Light Infantry and Buckaroo refusing to lie down, plus home contenders Erevann and Facteur Cheval quickening along with Anmaat, Burrows’ gelding had to pull out all the stops to claim gold in a fantastic five-way dash for the winning post, with Light Infantry holding on for the silver medal.

“He’s such a tough horse and it is very pleasing to keep his progression going,” said Burrows.

“I don’t think he has been out of the first three throughout his career and it’s a credit to him.

Trainer Owen Burrows has enjoyed a fine few days thanks to Hukum and Anmaat
Trainer Owen Burrows has enjoyed a fine few days thanks to Hukum and Anmaat (John Walton/PA)

“We were a little concerned going into today that the ground was plenty quick enough. I’m not saying things went wrong in the race, but we weren’t as far forward as we ideally hoped we would be and it turned into a bit of a sprint and like Jim said, they didn’t go overly quick.

“So he was sprinting and they were sprinting and he’s done well to pick them off you know. We just about got away with that today and we were thinking the ground would be a little slower than it was.”

Anmaat holds entries in both the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse, but the Farncombe Down Stables handler is in no rush to pick out a new target following his successful raid on Paris – a win which completes a fine few days for the trainer following Hukum’s winning return in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.

Burrows continued: “He’s in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and he’s in the Eclipse, but let’s get him home and see how he is after this and we’ll have a chat with the team and come up with a plan then.

“It’s been an amazing few days and I don’t think I’ll have many weeks like this. It’s a credit to the team at home to get Hukum back and to get this lad to keep progressing as he has.

“Four runs ago he was winning a John Smith’s Cup and then he has gone Group Three, Group Two, Group One which is a big big team effort.”

Anmaat hunting Group One gold at ParisLongchamp

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Anmaat seeks to break his Group One duck at the first time of asking when he takes on six rivals in the Group One Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp on Monday.

The Owen Burrows-trained five-year-old was unbeaten in three runs last term and having stepped out of handicap company, won the Group Three Rose of Lancaster at Haydock and followed up with Group Two success in the 10-furlong Prix Dollar on Arc weekend.

The Shadwell-owned Awtaad gelding drops back half a furlong for his return to the same Paris track, having chased home former Derby winner Adayar on his seasonal bow in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket.

Burrows – on a high after stable star Hukum got the better of Derby hero Desert Crown at Sandown on Thursday evening – felt the Prix d’Ispahan was a slightly easier option than Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh for Jim Crowley’s mount.

He said: “He obviously has a progressive profile and I thought it was a solid enough run first time up at Newmarket. He had it to do with that 5lb penalty and stayed on well enough. I didn’t want to go and stick him straight into a Group One on his first run of the year, where he might have just started coming forward for a run.

“He seems to be in good form. There is no such thing as an easy Group One.

“He was in the race in Ireland, but with Vadeni getting supplemented, and Bay Bridge and Luxembourg in there, we felt if ever there was an easier Group One, this was it.

“He won at Longchamp last year and he goes there with a good chance.”

David Simcock’s Light Infantry, third in the bet365 Mile on his return, before a close-up seventh to Modern Games in the Lockinge, tackles this trip for the first time and provides further British interest.

Buckaroo made a winning start to his four-year-old campaign on first start since finishing sixth in last season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas, when taking a heavy-ground Listed race over a mile at Leopardstown last month.

His trainer, Joseph O’Brien, hopes a step back up in trip will provide further improvement.

“It looked a suitable spot for him slightly stepping up in trip from his first run of the year,” he said.

“It was a lovely comeback run after a layoff and hopefully he will have come forward from then. I think the trip should be fine for him hopefully he can run a good race.”

There is a strong challenge for the home guard with Prix Dollar runner-up Junko representing Andre Fabre and Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Erevann being saddled by Jean-Claude Rouget.

Onesto (right) bids to land a second Group One success
Onesto (right) bids to land a second Group One success (Donall Farmer/PA)

Onesto, who won the Grand Prix de Paris in July last year and was subsequently beaten half a length by Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Luxembourg in the Irish Champion Stakes in September, makes his return for Fabrice Chappet.

The four-year-old Frankel colt has not run since November when a creditable seventh of 18 in the Japan Cup.

“The horse is well,” said Chappet. “He was supposed to run three weeks ago in the Prix Ganay, but the ground was definitely a bit disgusting so we decided to wait.

“I’m happy and the horse is working well. This is his first time out since November and he is the only one in the race who hasn’t run yet this season. It isn’t the main target for this this year, but he will run well.”

Group Three winner Facteur Cheval completes the line-up.