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| Staff Writer |
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Alflaila, trained by Owen Burrows, is set to make a comeback this summer after his campaign last season was cut short due to a setback. The entire son of Dark Angel has had a successful 3YO season with four victories under his belt. He won the Strensall Stakes at York, an eight-furlong Group Three, and the Masar Darley Stakes at the same level at Newmarket.
He was due to compete in the Bahrain International Trophy, but unfortunately, he was unable to participate due to a setback. He made a late return to action last year in June and won the York Stakes by half a length. In his subsequent start in the Irish Champion Stakes, he finished fifth despite not being favored by luck.
After meeting with another issue, Alflaila has not been seen, but he has now returned to work, and Burrows is hopeful that he will make an early summer comeback.
“He’s back with me, he probably won’t be out for another month’s time,” said Burrows.
“In the last couple of weeks he’s started fast work and it’ll be good to get him back.
“He obviously didn’t have the longest of seasons last year, but he won well at York on King George day and then it’d didn’t go to plan in the Irish Champion Stakes.
“That was the case for a lot of the English horses, and then unfortunately he had a little setback and that finished him for the season.
“Touch wood we can get him back soon, I was hoping to start him in the Brigadier Gerard, but that may just come a fraction too soon.
“It all depends how the next few weeks go, but he looks as well as ever, he’s filled out and strengthened up again.
“I’m not going to rush him to try and get to Sandown, if it comes around then it comes around but if not we’ll look to June time, there’s plenty of races for a nice horse like him.
“He was only just over three lengths behind Auguste Rodin (in the Irish Champion Stakes) and so he doesn’t have a huge amount to find to step up into these Group One races.”