A hunch from
Owen Burrows to explore options at 10 furlongs paid dividends, as new recruit
Royal Dubai thrived over the extra yardage in the BetVictor Steventon Stakes at
Newbury.
Previously trained by Marco Botti, the five-year-old has been a consistent operator in good company at distances around a mile, but after a switch to Lambourn to join Burrows, he tried a mile and a quarter for the first time since his three-year-old days.
The 10-1 outsider of five in the hands of Callum Rodriguez, he relished conditions to see off Brian Meehan’s 5-2 chance Rashabar for Listed honours, teeing up further action at this trip.
Burrows said: “I’m very fortunate to get him, he’s been with us a month and came in great shape from Marco’s.
“The owner sportingly left it to me and I just felt at a mile he was looking exposed and with his pedigree it might be worth trying him over a little bit further again.
“He had a fair bit to find at the ratings and we were hoping for a drop more rain, but it was really pleasing and I’m still learning about him to be honest.
“He’s a Listed winner now and we’ll have to look at the programme book, but there’s the Rose of Lancaster (at Haydock) on August 9 which we could have a look at and this is just a great start.”