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2000 Guineas fourth Talaayeb to drop in trip

Wayne Lordon riding Winter (pink) win the Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket
Image: Wayne Lordon riding Winter (pink) win the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket

Owen Burrows is contemplating dropping 1000 Guineas fourth Talaayeb down to seven furlongs for a shot at the Oak Tree Stakes at this year's Qatar Goodwood Festival.

After suffering an odds-on reversal when failing to see out a mile and a quarter in a Listed event at Newbury, the daughter of Dansili could return to the trip over which she won her maiden.

The Lambourn handler said: "She just didn't stay at Newbury, it was as simple as that. Plans after Newbury would depend on what happened there. She had a quiet week after Newbury

"We are looking back at a mile, and I wouldn't be afraid of possibly trying seven which the Oak Tree at Goodwood springs to mind.

"I'm not definitely saying she will go there as there is a mile Listed race at Haydock early August (Dick Hern Fillies' Stakes).

"I'd like to get on her on a flat track, finish-wise. Haydock over a mile would be grand and seven at Goodwood would be fine."

Plans are in place to give last year's 2000 Guineas runner-up Massaat a racecourse gallop before making his return to action.

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The son of Teofilo, who also finished down the field in last year's Epsom Derby, has not been seen since finishing last in the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury in August.

Burrows added: "He has just started some faster work and it will certainly be early August when he comes back. We will probably take him for an away day and give him a gallop somewhere. We are roughly where we should be."

Mokaatil will be eased in grade in an attempt to get off the mark after backing up his debut second with a fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Burrows said: "I was very pleased with him and he ran a real solid race. We felt he would be competitive. We will look just to win our maiden now and go from there."

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