Derby Dreamer Burrows Plots Global Path For Deira Mile

From Derby Fourth To Sheema Contender

Deira Mile has already demonstrated his class, finishing fourth to subsequent champion City of Troy in last year's Epsom Derby before elevating his performance in the St Leger. The son of Camelot has physically strengthened during the winter, with Burrows particularly pleased by how travelling has accelerated his mental maturity.

"This year, I felt he's physically done very well from three to four. He's really strengthened up well," Burrows explains. "When he travelled to Riyadh, it really woke him up. He travelled well and took in all the surroundings well. From my point of view, it's a real positive that he was maturing all the time."

While Deira Mile's Saudi performance showed room for improvement, Burrows notes his tendency to break slowly has been a recurring challenge. "He broke again. He has a tendency to break a bit slow. In hindsight, Jason probably should have just sat quietly on him."

The trainer's growing confidence is reflected in his decision to target the Sheema Classic rather than the Gold Cup. "The class of opposition will be a lot higher in the Sheema, but the way the race will run will suit us better. There's big prize money down to eighth, so that's the way we're sort of swaying at the moment."

The Mental Game: Developing A "Big Baby"

Burrows is candid about the ongoing work required to harness Deira Mile's natural ability while managing his immaturity. The horse has previously worn headgear to maintain focus, with cheekpieces in the Derby and blinkers in the St Leger.

"I'm going to see what his work is like now, leading up to Dubai to see what sort of headgear we put on him. It may well be, as he's now maturing with his races, we might not need headgear by the middle of the season."

"As a 2YO before he came to me, he was a big horse, a big 2YO, but he could just have a wander around in front in his races. He was beaten at very short odds at Chelmsford one day. People could say he threw the race away."

The trainer's approach to building confidence is methodical. "He enjoys passing horses. So at home in his work, he has a lead horse, which he goes and joins, and then we try and let him finish a neck up. It's just giving him confidence. On race day, I think he enjoys being ridden like that as well."

The Al Shaikh Partnership: A Foundation Of Trust

The relationship between Burrows and owner Ahmad Al Shaikh exemplifies the loyalty that can flourish in racing. After training exclusively for Shadwell and Sheikh Hamdan's family, Burrows transitioned to become a public trainer – with Al Shaikh being the first to offer support.

"He very kindly was the very first person to message me and said he'd like to have a horse with me. I'll be eternally grateful to him for that, because he's been a big supporter of ours now for the last few years," Burrows recalls.

The trainer now conditions about 11 horses for Al Shaikh, including four 3YOs alongside Deira Mile and about half a dozen 2YOs. The owner's approach to the sport – as a businessman with Derby dreams – aligns well with Burrows' pragmatic yet ambitious outlook.

"He's a good guy to deal with. He's very hands-on, and he's brave as well. He likes to have a punt in these big races. His big thing is he'd love to win the Derby. He was second with Andrew Balding's horse a few years ago. We were fourth last year."

What impresses Burrows most is Al Shaikh's eye for value. "Interestingly, he doesn't spend huge amounts at the sales, but he goes through the catalogue himself and picks pedigrees he likes. He has a system - he likes staying bloodlines. I take my hat off to him. There are a lot of people out there who spend far more money than he does but don't get anywhere near his results."

Tech Advances And Promising Prospects

While focused on Dubai World Cup night, Burrows is embracing technological innovations in his training methods, particularly the SLEIP app used for Riyadh runners.

"For Riyadh, we had to use the SLEIP app. It's an app where you take a recording of the horse trotting up. You build a database, and they measure the trot and can pick up things that possibly the naked eye isn't going to detect," he explains. "That's something I'm going to look into possibly using a bit more."

This methodical approach extends to Burrows' other talented horses, including several promising 3YOs for Al Shaikh. Al Wasl Storm is approaching readiness for an April debut. "He's an unraced 3YO who did bits of work last year and then just had a little setback. He's in strong work now," Burrows explains.

Meanwhile, Deira Storm, a son of Blue Point, is described as "quite exciting" after an eye-catching second on his only juvenile start. "He had one run at the back end last season with a very eye-catching second. He's out of a Galileo mare, interestingly, but he's all speed."

His Shadwell team is equally impressive, with Anmaat, the British Champion Stakes winner, targeting major Group One races. "He will probably start at the end of April, sometime in May. He'll have the Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot, the Eclipse, and so on. He's a very exciting horse."

There's also a potential Oaks contender. "Shadwell also has a New Bay filly called Falakeyah. She won very impressively, and she's just started half-speed work. She could be an Oaks filly. She's got that sort of pedigree," Burrows enthuses.

Beyond Dubai, Burrows is already mapping out a European campaign that could elevate Deira Mile to Group One status. "There are a few races in May in France that might suit. There is a Group One in France in early July for 4YOs and upwards, which quite often doesn't have a huge field. He's shown that he can handle plenty of cut in the ground, so I'd have no qualms with sending him to France if it was very soft."

As Burrows prepares for his Dubai sunshine break – a welcome respite before the European season intensifies – his focus remains firmly on maximising Deira Mile's potential while nurturing a stable full of promising talent across multiple ownership groups.