Is Owen Burrows set to unleash another star in the shape of once-raced winner War Rooms?

It has been another fine season for Owen Burrows, who won the King George at Ascot with Hukum and the York Stakes with Alflaila, so is he set to unleash another star in this race?

War Rooms looked like a horse with a huge amount of potential after his debut victory over course and distance in July. He ran away with that novice event by four and three-quarter lengths on soft ground and was no stronger than at the finish. There should be more to come.

The son of Churchill will need more, though, because six of the seven beaten horses who have run since have all let the form down with a defeat next time and the one who was successful had finished 52 lengths behind War Rooms, so that’s hardly a form boost.

Warm Spell is a horse whose form has taken a boost as he had two subsequent winners behind when landing a 7f novice at Newbury in July and did so despite making a mess of the start there.

That was the second time in as many runs that he has done that and he will need to sharpen up at the break if he's to make an impact in this stronger race.  

His trainer Roger Varian was successful in this race in 2019 with Molatham and evidently knows what type is required to win.

Warm Spell: trained by Roger Varian

Ralph Beckett was successful three years ago with New Mandate, and Kingdom Of Riches is his representative this time. 

The son of Acclamation is another who comes into the race on the back of a novice win that hasn’t really worked out. All three horses who he beat at Leicester last time to have run since have been beaten, but he did win by two and a quarter lengths in a good time.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Burrows on the War-path

Owen Burrows has enjoyed a fine time with his juveniles on turf this season, winning with six of his 17 runners, including War Rooms.

He impressed in the colours of Brook Farm Bloodstock over course and distance in July and is nicely regarded by the Lambourn trainer, who said: "He was in at Haydock last Saturday in the Ascendant Stakes, but I felt the ground would be a touch on the quick side. The ground looks like it will be soft enough for us over seven furlongs and he's always shown us a nice level of ability at home.

"He's got a great mind on him and might lack experience, but I've given him a few decent entries for the rest of the season so we'll see how we stack up."

What they say

Roger Teal, trainer of Dancing Gemini
I’m very happy with him at home and he’s come out of his Newbury race well. He did it nicely that day and has been working good so we’re happy going into this one. We did think about going to Haydock last week and he will step up in trip in the future, but he’s happy with seven furlongs at the moment.

Orla Byrne, racing manager to Philip Liu Chun Hang, owner of Kingdom Of Riches
He was a beautiful individual at the sales and has a lovely temperament. He was a lovely moving colt too and he's a very honest horse, and Ralph [Beckett] is very confident in him and has been from the get-go. He's done nothing wrong in his training, although we hope the ground will dry up a little bit and it's good ground. He's in the early entries for the Royal Lodge, but this race was mentioned directly after his win at Leicester last time.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Local Hero
He was extremely impressive on his first run, and while we thought he’d go well, I wasn’t quite expecting him to do what he did. Time will tell how good that race was, because nothing has come out and run since, but he’s clearly a talented colt and I have no concerns whatsoever about the drop down to seven furlongs.
Reporting by James Burn

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