Brain Power award tees up owner Buckley for Lanzarote bid with Burrows Edge

Michael Buckley, whose familiar white silks will be carried by leading fancy Burrows Edge in Saturday's Unibet Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton, has already been the beneficiary of some good news this week after learning his Brain Power has scooped a top US jumps award.

Sponsored by the National Steeplechase Association and the Steeplechase Owners and Trainers Association, the annual Steeplechase Awards Dinner and Dance takes place in Baltimore on Thursday when Brain Power will be recognised with the Lonesome Glory Award for being the leading money earner over jumps in the States.

That came via his victory in October's American Grand National at Far Hills racecourse in New Jersey.

The talented gelding, who is trained in Lambourn by Buckley's close friend Nicky Henderson, has also been shortlisted in the jumps category for the prestigious Eclipse Awards, which are held at Gulfstream Park in Florida on January 23.

Michael Buckley: owner is close friends with Nicky HendersonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Buckley, speaking from Chile, said: "I got an email on Tuesday from someone saying, 'I imagine you know Brain Power has won this award and are you coming to the dinner?' I don't get back into London until the morning before, so can't spin around to Baltimore, but Michael Hankin, who is a friend of mine – a super nice guy – and has a lot of horses in the States, is going to accept the award for me.

"Looking at the Eclipse nominations, if they're going to give one for a steeplechaser you'd imagine he'd win it if the Steeplechase Association have given him their horse of the year award."

Buckley is enjoying his holiday in South America – "I just want to see places that interest me as often as I can and Chile is the most extraordinary country with one of the longest coastlines on the planet" – and Brain Power, whose last win in Britain came in the 2018 International Hurdle, is also relaxing before a spring return.

"We were getting him ready for the International Hurdle again and he travelled to America in October really well and was in great shape," the owner added. "I think the travel and race took quite a lot out of him and he wasn't going to be ready for the International, he wasn't firing and was a bit flat, and he doesn't like heavy ground anyway.

"So I said to Nicky why don't we just rough him off for the time being and bring him back in the spring to think about running in whatever – certainly not the Champion Hurdle – but I mentioned the Aintree Hurdle as a first idea.

"What I'd like to do is have him in a nice place and then go back and try to win that race at Far Hills again, possibly going a bit earlier and taking in another race on the way.

"He likes the quicker ground and their jumps are halfway between our hurdles and fences, which I think suits him. Having done it once, it would be exciting to do it again."

Burrows Edge (in front) working under Jerry McGrath at Seven Barrows on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

More immediately is the Lanzarote, a contest Henderson has struck in three times.

A standout 7-1 with Ladbrokes, Burrows Edge fell on his chasing debut at Ludlow last time, but remains relatively lightly raced after just nine starts.

"He ran in two hurdle races last year and was second at Kempton and I thought he'd be a certainty next time, but he ran rather disappointingly," Buckley continued.

"He then fell over fences and, while he's scopey, he's not the biggest, so might enjoy jumping hurdles better.

"I think he's a chance only because why the hell would Nicky select him otherwise? He's got plenty of horses to run and based on that I'd say he's got a good chance, while he told me he worked well the other day. He's a horse who has grown up physically now and he hasn't had a lot of races, so there ought to be some improvement in him.

"I hope he's got a chance and it's not like I'm around and desperate to go to Kempton and have a runner."

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