Deira Mile set for Red Sea mission

Deira Mile is setting sail for Saudi Arabia as he has his eye on the hugely valuable Red Sea Turf Handicap.

The Camelot four-year-old was campaigned at the top level last term, coming home fourth in two Classics when contesting both the Derby and the St Leger.

He also missed out on Listed success by a whisker in between those runs, coming home just a neck behind Sea Of Roses in the August Stakes at Windsor.

Having incrementally worked his way up in trip last term, the bay will now remain at an extended distance when taking aim at the Red Sea Turf Handicap at the Saudi Cup meeting on February 22.

The contest is worth over £1million to the winner and Burrows is hoping his runner will acquit himself well.

“We’re really happy with him,” he said.

“It should be interesting, he’s done very well for his break after the Leger and he’s a bigger, stronger horse this year.

“It is huge money and his owner was keen to have a go a while back when we were discussing it – the horse is certainly very well.

“At the minute it only looks like there’ll be about or dozen or so horses in it, I think on his Leger and Derby form he’d have a real chance.

“I did actually put him in the Dubai Gold Cup and he’s in the Sheema Classic as well, we don’t really see him as a Cup horse back here and I don’t think I’d be going to Ascot with him. We’ll see how he performs and we’ll take one race at a time.”

Success in Saudi Arabia would be an early boon for the stable, who are ordinarily in the midst of a quiet spell before the turf season starts.

“I’d have very little going on at this time of year normally, we did have a winner at the beginning of February but we only had two running through the winter,” said Burrows.

“If we could pinch a bit of decent prize-money, that would set us up very nicely for the start of the season.”