Anmaat gives his all in honourable defeat
A shock 40-1 winner of the Qipco Champion Stakes over course and distance last season, the seven-year-old once again proved he belongs at the top-level when pushing the reopposing Los Angeles all the way on his return to action in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month.
With improvement anticipated, hopes for Anmaat were high ahead of his return to Berkshire – but while he turned the tables on the 13-8 favourite Los Angeles, who was beaten into fifth, the Burrows runner had no answer to the finishing kick of 7-1 winner Ombudsman and had to make do with the silver medal.
'He's an absolute star and he's done us proud and there's not a lot of excuses really,' said Burrows.
'He's come there to win, just credit to John's horse who has picked up a bit better than us.
'There wasn't really a moment I thought he would win today and I thought more so in Ireland. He obviously travelled great, but I could see William (Buick) was in a bit of a pocket and was trying to get a bit of room and always looked like he had a little bit left.
'I think we know he has a preference for a bit of juice in the ground but Jim (Crowley) said I can't use that as an excuse. Possibly he can quicken on softer ground when others can't, but I'm not making any excuses.'
Anmaat holds entries for both the Coral-Eclipse (Sandown, July 5) and Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Leopardstown, September 13), with York's Juddmonte International Stakes on August 20 also a plausible option.
However, it is a Champion Stakes defence on October 19 which is prominent in Burrows' thoughts.
'The Eclipse has been mentioned but that may be too soon and we'll have to see how he comes out of this,' continued Burrows.
'Then there's York and the Irish Champion Stakes. But I think back here in October will be his main aim and all being well he should have some juice in the ground by then.
'He's run in two Group Ones now this season, finished second both times and not done an awful lot wrong. I'm very proud of him.'
A place behind Anmaat in third was Andrew Balding's See The Fire, who was supplemented into the race at a cost of £70,000 after a runaway win at York in the Middleton Stakes.
Another to be thrilled with his charge's performance, Balding now plans to return his star filly to competing against her own sex and she will now attempt to go one place better than last year's narrow second in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (July 31).
'I'm thrilled and it's probably a career-best performance,' said Balding.
'She'll have a little break now and head towards the Nassau which has always been her main objective really. She ran well in it last year and I think being back against her own sex will help her cause.'
Meanwhile, Aidan O'Brien will give beaten favourite Los Angeles a full MOT after tasting defeat for the first time this season.
He added: 'We'll take him back and see how he is. You wouldn't take anything away from the others but you wouldn't think that wasn't his true running.
'The King George might come a bit quick after a run like that, Jan Brueghel might come into that job.'
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