Owen Burrows aims to make Classic start

Owen Burrows is hopeful that Massaat can get his training career off to a dream start by landing the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Saturday week – the first race in the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Burrows has taken over the reins from Barry Hills, who retired last year, at Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Kingwood House Stables in Lambourn and has a team of just under 50 – with half of them being two-year-olds.

The 41 year-old spent a dozen years as assistant to Sir Michael Stoute after riding as a conditional jockey over jumps and acknowledges he has been given a great opportunity.

“I’m in a very privileged position, you can only dream of starting with team like this,” Burrows said. “Great faith has been put in me and i just want to repay that.

“Quality is the thing. We’ll try and win as many big races as we can – that’s what Sheikh Hamdan is all about.”

Massaat chased home Air Force Blue, hot favourite for the 2000 Guineas, in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October and satisfied Burrows in a racecourse gallop back at Headquarters last week.

“He will come on a lot for that,” he predicted. “It was away day and will help tighten him up. He’s laid-back at home and finds things quite easy.”

Mustajeer, runner-up in the Feilden Stakes last week, and Muntazah, who signed off last season by finishing third in the Royal Lodge, are engaged in the Investec Derby – a race that Burrows tasted glory in when with Stoute.

He said: “It’s not completely alien to me [big races]; we had Derbys and Breeders’ Cups but it’s a bit different when it’s in your own name.”