Alyanaabi and last year’s winner Al Aasy are both set to carry the Shadwell silks in the BetVictor Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
Runner-up to City Of Troy in the Dewhurst last season, the Owen Burrows-trained Alyanaabi is being readied to step up in trip but down in grade for the 10-furlong Listed contest, after finishing fifth in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold is looking forward to seeing the Too Darn Hot colt test his stamina over the longer distance as the team look to open up their options going forward.
“This race is certainly the plan for Alyanaabi, to step him up to the mile and a quarter to see if we’re on the right track,” he said.
“I personally think he’ll stay, but let’s wait and see. If he does, he could be a pretty handy horse as he’s not that far behind the best of them (three-year-olds) over a mile.
“We could have a lot of fun with him, hopefully.”
Al Aasy won this race 12 months ago, one of seven career victories for a horse who was only narrowly denied a Group One win in the 2021 Coronation Cup at Epsom when beaten a neck by Pyledriver.
However, William Haggas’ charge is very much in the veteran stage of his career as a seven-year-old and has not been seen in competitive action since the autumn.
Gold added: “Al Aasy is coming back for his first start of the year. He’s not quite as old as me, but he knows all about it now! William wants to get a run into him, just so we can plan the rest of the year.
“He’s had his issues, so he’s taken a long time to come to hand, but hopefully this will be the start of his campaign.”
With the owners’ retained jockey Jim Crowley expected to side with Alyanaabi, Tom Marquand is poised to partner Al Aasy for this first time.
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