Cesarewitch next port of call for East India Dock

East India Dock is being primed for one more outing on the Flat in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap before attentions turn to making his mark in the staying division on his return to hurdles.

James Owen’s dual-purpose star was third in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and wasted little time securing a valuable prize on the level when scooping the Chester Cup in May.

Having felt another prestigious event went begging when sixth in the Northumberland Plate, Owen has his eye on the historic Newmarket marathon on October 11 before switching focus back to timber, where he will have an exciting new target.

“East India Dock has had a small break and is now back in and we’ll aim at the Cesarewitch with him,” said Owen. “He’ll go straight there.

“I feel we missed a chance in the Northumberland Plate and the ground may have been on the lively side for him at Ascot, but Newcastle was our chance.

“It was one of his best runs on figures, but annoyingly he didn’t get a great run round, he got caught wide and shuffled to the back of the field.

“A great big pot on home turf, when hopefully by then they will have had a bit of rain, we think will be ideal and then back over hurdles we will campaign him as a Stayers’ Hurdle horse – I’m sure he will stay well and he gives himself every chance to.”

While East India Dock has key business on the Flat to attend to before changing tack, Owen has already identified the hurdling starting point for stablemate and fellow dual-purpose performer Burdett Road.

Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle has been pencilled in as the first stop for the Champion Hurdle runner-up over timber, whose season once again will be geared around an appearance in the Cheltenham Festival’s opening day showpiece.

“Burdett Road’s having a nice break and we might give him one prep run on the Flat before going for the Fighting Fifth,” continued Owen.

“He’ll take the Champion Hurdle route again and will be running in all the big two-mile hurdle races en route to Cheltenham.

“He did very well last year and it will be very tough again, but he’s entitled to be in all those big races and hopefully he can be very competitive in them.”