Chris Hayes poised to partner Anmaat in Irish Champion Stakes

Chris Hayes is set to ride Anmaat in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

A shock 40-1 of the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot last autumn, the Owen Burrows-trained seven-year-old has since proved that success was no fluke by finishing second in both the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He has since missed potential outings in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International due to unsuitable ground, but is all set for a return to competitive action in Ireland this weekend.

“Touch wood all’s good. It looks like the rain is coming over there and I’m looking forward to getting him out again as he seems in really good nick,” Burrows said on Monday.

“We’re very pleased with him and I’m hearing that Ireland is getting a nice drop of rain. I think the ground is good to yielding at the minute, which should be fine, and I think there’s another drop of rain forecast for tomorrow, so it should be suitable.”

With Anmaat’s regular partner Jim Crowley sidelined by injury following a nasty fall at York on Sunday, Burrows has turned to Hayes to partner his stable star, a jockey who carried the famous silks of owners Shadwell to Classic glory on Awtaad in the 2016 Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Burrows added: “It’s a shame what’s happened to Jim as he obviously knows the horse very well.

“He’ll have a new jockey on and I think Chris Hayes is going to ride him. Chris has obviously ridden big winners for Shadwell in Ireland, he won a City of York Stakes for me a good few years ago (2017 on Talaayeb) and we felt someone with plenty of experience of Leopardstown was vital.

“The horse has done nothing wrong this season. I know he hasn’t won yet but he hasn’t done a lot wrong and if the ground comes more in his favour, I’d like to think he can run a big race.”