Owen Burrows

DUBAI, UAE--In the week building up to Dubai's major race day, a growing throng of owners and trainers arrive at Meydan to see their horses in action, and perhaps shoot the breeze with the press pack gathered trackside. At a quiet remove behind the back stretch is the training track favoured by the European horses, with a grass circuit and a Tapeta surface, each to be enjoyed without the hullabaloo of the main racecourse, and with few onlookers present. It is here on Thursday morning that Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al...

The class act of the field, Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), gave Shadwell Stable a dream start to Super Saturday and booked his ticket for Dubai World Cup night when landing the G2 Dubai City Of Gold in a tight finish with Without A Fight (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Drawn widest of all in stall 14, the Owen Burrows-trained Hukum jumped well and gradually manoeuvred to a handy spot tucked away behind the leading pack which was headed by Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who set a steady pace just ahead...

Shadwell's Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the winner of three Group 3s over middle distances last season, is being set toward the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Mar. 26. The 5-year-old won Goodwood's Listed Tapster S. in May before finishing third in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot. After that Hukum put together back-to-back scores in the G3 Silver Cup S. and G3 Geoffrey Freer S., and was second in Kempton's G3 September S. before closing out his campaign with a 6 1/2-length win in the...

By Chris McGrath NEWMARKET, UK--Well, maybe these guys just don't have radios or newspapers. Maybe they haven't heard about the challenges at least affecting the domestic environment: chronic deficiencies in prizemoney, new volatility in the economic landscape. Or perhaps the international investors who might be relatively immune to such concerns have forced even the local market to new highs by putting such a squeeze into Books 1 and 2. Who knows? Just conceivably, this show of faith in our industry could yet prove the foundation for a sustainable bull run....

Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), winner of the G2 Gimcrack S. and third in the G1 Middle Park S., has suffered another setback and will miss an intended return in a conditions stakes at Nottingham. The Shadwell runner required surgery on a leg injury sustained in his box which ruled him out of the first half of this campaign, and, after a work on Wednesday, had another minor setback. Trainer Owen Burrows is undeterred however and said, "Unfortunately Minzaal has had a bit of a setback, and we won't be declaring...

Shadwell's Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) may mark his seasonal return at Nottingham next month in advance of a potential outing in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park Sept. 4. The G2 Gimcrack S. winner will use either the five-furlong British Stallion Studs EBF Conditions S. Aug. 10 or the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. at the Curragh over six furlongs Aug. 8 as a stepping stone to Haydock's marquee sprint event. Minzaal was last sighted finishing third in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket in October. Minzaal was...

Shadwell homebred Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal), a debut winner last July for trainer Owen Burrows before finishing second in the G2 Champagne S., could miss a Guineas bid this spring after meeting with a setback. "Unfortunately he's had a little bit of a niggle," said Burrows. "We're just in the process of investigating exactly what is bothering him. There are no immediate plans for him at the moment. "He certainly won't be making a Guineas trial, and I'd say it would be highly unlikely, depending on what we find, that he'd...

Last season's G2 Gimcrack S. winner and G1 Middle Park S. third Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) will make a belated start to his 3-year-old campaign after suffering a leg injury in his box at trainer Owen Burrows's stable. "Unfortunately Minzaal injured himself in his box before Christmas," said Burrows. "He's had to have surgery and he's back at [owner] Shadwell at the moment recuperating." The first key target for Minzaal's 3-year-old campaign had been the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, but Burrows admitted it will be a race against...

G1 Middle Park S. third Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who won the G2 Gimcrack S. in late August for Shadwell and trainer Owen Burrows, will not be seen the rest of the year and instead will be pointed at the G1 Commonwealth Cup S. at Royal Ascot next June. A winner at second asking at Salisbury on Aug. 9, the bay quickly added the Gimcrack 12 days later and was not disgraced when third in the Middle Park on Sept. 26. "Minzaal ran well in the Middle Park and he...

MGSW Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who won the G2 Great Voltigeur S. on Aug. 19, has been confirmed for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster on Sept. 12, Racing Post reported on Sunday. Trainer William Muir confirmed the news, with the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, also on Sept. 12, off the table. The La Pyle Partnership, consisting of owner/breeders Roger Devlin and brothers Guy and Hugh Leach, raced Pyledriver to a listed success at two. The colt ran second in the G3 Unibet Classic Trial S....

On a day when York belonged to the royal blue of Shadwell, the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S. played host to one of the operation's youngbloods as the new juvenile sprinting sensation Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) cut a dash in the gloom. Sent off the 5-2 favourite coming off an impressive Salisbury novice success over this six-furlong trip Aug. 9, the bay missed the kick and was adrift early but Jim Crowley was oozing confidence and in no mood to hurry. Tanking his way to the lead passing...

Tabdeed (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire})'s connections are mulling a start for the group winner in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. at Haydock on Sept. 5. The six-furlong event would be the gelding's first crack at the top level. Representing the blue-and-white silks of Sheikh Hamdan, the sparingly raced 5-year-old ran second in a Newcastle all-weather handicap on June 27, and earned his first group win in the G3 Hackwood S. at Newbury back on grass on July 18. Trainer Owen Burrows said, "We will give him an entry in...