Royal Dubai relishes extra distance on first start for Owen Burrows

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.”

Ralph Beckett’s 6-4 favourite Egoli could have booked a return to York or a trip to the Qatar Goodwood Festival after confirming the promise of his previous Knavesmire victory in the Run For Your Money At BetVictor EBF Novice Stakes.

Beckett said: “I like him, he’s a nice horse. He’s in the Gimcrack Stakes at York for a reason and I would like to go back there. When he won there last time he was impressive.

“He might have an entry for the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood as well, although I’m not sure that would be his track. He’s quite a heavy shouldered horse and I’m not sure it will suit him and it might want a bit of juice in the ground there for him to go there.

“We’ve all had No Nay Nevers which are fidgety, but he’s not, he just eats and sleeps and is a lovely sort of horse.

“He was very professional today and he goes well. It takes a good horse to win a Newbury novice under a penalty. Hopefully there is more to come and he’s one to look forward to, I think. There’s a bit of size and scope to him, so he shouldn’t be just a two-year-old either.”

Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent (11-2) defied a near 300-day absence to land the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes in the hands of Luke Morris.

Prescott said of the Denford Stud-owned winner: “She’s always been rather flighty, she went back to Denford in the winter and they’ve done a great job. She’s been slow to come in her coat, she’s just come right the last month.

“She’s got ability and a proper pedigree. She’s in all those races, which when you make the entries you think you might look mad in a few weeks, but she’s in them all. She’s an interesting animal.”