Owen Burrows leading stable star Hukum is set for a spin around Epsom next time out as the handler has given him his next target in the Group One Coronation Cup.
The five year old has had a great career starting as a two year old, only racing twice and getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Kempton over a mile.
Burrows always planned to step this horse up in trip and on his seasonal debut last term he landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in gritty style.
The way he battled and stayed on that day showed he could handle a bigger trip and when stepped up to 1m5f in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, he was a runaway winner in soft conditions.
Both these runs set him up perfectly for a crack at the Group One St Leger at Doncaster, but on the day he was outstayed by better horses and had to settle for fifth.
He returned last season at Sandown in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over 1m2f and looked to need the run in the final stages.
As expected he came on for the run next time out when getting off the mark for the term in the Listed Tapster Stakes at Goodwood back over 1m4f and that put him spot on for a go at back to back Royal Ascot winners.
He headed into an above average renewal of the Hardwicke Stakes and plugged on well in soft ground to grab third behind the dual Group One winner Wonderful Tonight.
Hukum is back!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 5, 2022
He makes it 8 wins from 13 career starts in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold Stakes 👏 @JimCrowley1978 | @ojburrows74 | #DWCCarnival pic.twitter.com/EV8ExMTU6V
Many horses coming out of that race have franked the form and Hukum added to that roster of animals when next time out landing the Group Three Silver Cup Stakes at York in taking style.
He made it back to back wins next time out at Newbury when taking the Geoffrey Freer Stakes for the second time in his career.
Looking for the hat-trick he went to Kempton on the all weather for Group Three September Stakes and when looking like the winner of the race was outdone near the line by the progressive Hamish.
He rounded off last term in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot when routing a decent field by close to seven lengths.
Back as a five year old this year he had been seen twice at Meydan, winning on seasonal debut in the Group Two Dubai City Of Gold event, but when seeking Group One glory in the Dubai Sheema Classic he could only finish midfield.
Given some time off, he is now set to return at Epsom in the Coronation Stakes and Burrows has been very happy with his work at home ahead of the contest.
(Credit ATR) “The plan is for him to go to the Coronation. Jim (Crowley, jockey) is going to come and ride him on Wednesday morning in his work and if we’re all happy, then that’s where we’ll go,” he said.
“We did confirm him for the Hardwicke just in case, but the plan is to go to Epsom.”