Tag Archive for: karl burke

Zeus Olympios proves Superior to Haydock rivals

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Karl Burke is in no rush to throw Zeus Olympios in at the deep end despite an impressive victory in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile at Haydock.

A winner on his Kempton debut in early January before following up with a dominant display at Thirsk last month, the Night Of Thunder colt faced a significant rise in class as he looked to complete his hat-trick in the Group Three curtain-raiser on Merseyside.

Always travelling strongly under William Buick, Zeus Olympios picked up well once asked to extend and was he was well on top as he passed the post with two lengths in hand over Excellent Believe.

Burke, who saddled Holloway Boy to claim this prize 12 months ago, said of his latest victor: “He’s always worked nicely and William said after a furlong he knew he was on a very nice horse.

“He’s a lovely horse with a great mind, but I was a bit worried whether I was doing the right thing dropping him in this grade on his third run. He ran quite green at Thirsk last time.

“He had an enforced break soon after he came to us and all he did last winter was improve physically, he’s done the same this summer once we’ve got him going and I think he’ll improve again from three to four with another winter on his back.”

Considering future plans, the Spigot Lodge handler added: “He’s won a Group Three now so he can’t go backwards from that, but I don’t really want to throw him in too deep yet.

“I’ll have a look and see what’s available, but I know there’s not a lot available over a mile.

“I certainly wouldn’t think we’ll travel him (abroad) this winter, but I’ll have to have a chat with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid (owner) and see where we go.”

Next stop the Curragh for Venetian Sun

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Venetian Sun is Curragh-bound after enhancing her already big reputation with a superb defeat of Gstaad in the Prix Morny at Deauville.

Trained by Karl Burke and owned by Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, the Starman filly is unbeaten in four starts having followed a Carlisle debut with an Albany Stakes triumph at Royal Ascot.

She then won the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket to further prove herself a top-class prospect, earning a shot at Group One level against the colts at Deauville as a result.

There she took the scalp of Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry winner Gstaad by a short neck, giving rider Clifford Lee a first Group One triumph and rewarding the courage of connections in aiming high.

They believe she will be better still over seven furlongs, and with that in mind the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on September 14 is next up, ahead of a winter break that will lead into her Classic season next year.

“Karl Burke has never disguised how much he thought of this filly, even before she ran and made her debut at Carlisle,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to Bloom.

“I actually travelled from London that day, three and a quarter hours on the train, because he was waxing lyrical about her work at home.

“She went and did it well enough without blowing us away with the performance, and when she went to Ascot you’d probably have struggled to fancy her based on that form.

“But her work between Carlisle and Ascot was just sensational, she was working with Lethal Levi and he couldn’t get away from her.

“Karl was working her with these five- and six-year-olds, proper Listed and Group sprinters, and they couldn’t get her off the bridle.

“The performance at Ascot was very, very good, the plan was then to give her a break and bring her back for the Lowther or an autumn campaign, but she only lost four kilos having travelled up to Ascot and back to Middleham on the box and then run in sweltering heat.

“Karl said the race hadn’t taken a thing out of her so that’s why we decided to go to Newmarket, and though on the day it didn’t look as though she won it that impressively, the second-placed horse of Ed Walker’s (Royal Fixation) has gone and won the Lowther since so the form stacks up.

“Our plan was just to go to the Moyglore because we think she’ll be better over seven furlongs, but Karl said the filly was in fantastic form at home and though it was a Group One over six furlongs against the colts, Ian and Tony are great sports people.

“We thought we’d have a crack and that she’d lose nothing in defeat if she was beaten by a very impressive winner.

“Like her other wins, the race wasn’t really run to suit but she wasn’t giving an inch and she still won.

“All being well we will go to the Moyglare for her next and probably final start of the year, then we’ll put her away and hopefully bring her back for the Guineas next year.”

Venetian Sun shines against the colts in Prix Morny

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Karl Burke was left in awe of Venetian Sun’s brilliance as the filly saw off the colts to remain unbeaten in a star-studded Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, the daughter of Starman was the only filly in the six-strong line-up, as she ventured to France in a bid to add to her Royal Ascot victory in the Albany Stakes and Duchess of Cambridge triumph at Newmarket.

American raider Outfielder set the early fractions seeking to give Wesley Ward a fourth win in the race, but as that rival checked out with a furlong to run, Clifford Lee was beginning to make his challenge aboard Venetian Sun who had travelled smoothly in the slipstream of Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes hero Gstaad.

Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach was another to make late progress but Venetian Sun was ultimately too tough to crack for her high-class rivals as she showcased her electric turn of foot once again to raise her reputation to yet another level and give her big-race pilot a first winner in elite company.

It was the second time Burke has tasted success in the six-furlong Group One after Unfortunately landed the spoils in 2017 and his second big winner of the summer at Deauville after Fallen Angel’s Prix Rothschild success.

Burke said: “That was absolutely brilliant, unbelievable, she’s a superstar filly. I’ve been saying for a while she’s a special filly and I think she has proven that today.

“The whole race went exactly how we thought and hoped it would and Cliff got her in a lovely rhythm. She’s so relaxed and once she’s in behind she falls asleep and then she’s got that electric turn of foot.

“It’s a first Group One for Clifford, he probably should have won the German Derby last month but just missed out so I’m delighted for him as well.

Clifford Lee aboard Venetian Sun at Royal Ascot
Clifford Lee aboard Venetian Sun at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I’ve been very lucky to train a lot of good fillies like Quiet Reflection, then Laurens and Fallen Angel, but at this stage of her career she would be way ahead of them.

“She’s doing things on the gallops at home that a two-year-old filly should not be doing and then she goes and keeps winning as well.”

Venetian Sun was made Coral’s 6-1 favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas on the back of her triumph in France and will now put Classic aspirations to the test when stepping up to seven furlongs in the Curragh’s Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14 – a race the Spigot Lodge handler won with Fallen Angel two years ago.

Burke added: “Hopefully she can come out of this well and we can go to the Moyglare and then we will know if we can make a plan for running over seven furlongs or further for next year.

“I would be amazed if she doesn’t get the seven furlongs well and to be honest I’ve always thought she would be better over seven furlongs.”

Al Qareem out for another York raid in the Lonsdale Cup

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York regular Al Qareem is ready to go “toe-to-toe” with Gold Cup hero Trawlerman in the Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup as he seeks his third Knavesmire success of the summer.

Only Aidan O’Brien’s Gold Cup runner-up Illinois has been able to stop Karl Burke’s six-year-old in his last four starts and connections are raring to have a crack at John and Thady Gosden’s staying star, who will be out to replicate his Royal Ascot heroics and remain unbeaten on home soil in 2025.

“I did think the race would turn out stronger than it is so I’m pleased to see only six in the field,” said Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing.

Al Qareem in action at York
Al Qareem in action at York (Martin Rickett/PA)

“Trawlerman of course will be hard to beat, he’s drawn four and we’re drawn five. I’m looking forward to seeing who leads and I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing those two go toe-to-toe at the two-furlong pole and may the best horse win.

“He’s got a good course record but I think that’s more because we’ve handpicked those races and he’s run well at places like Ascot and Chester as well, so I don’t think it’s because of the track necessarily.”

A winner of 11 of his 31 career starts, Al Qareem has long been a reliable source of success for his connections and his performance on the Knavesmire could prove key in Bradley hitting some ambitious targets for the current campaign.

He added: “My target for this year is £1.4million in prize-money and 60 winners and I’m thinking if I can be at £1.1million by the end of this month, I will be in good shape.

“If Al Qareem finishes second I think I’ll get there, so I will be relying on him quite a lot and it’s a credit to Karl and his team and the horse himself as we have a standard-bearer who tries so hard every time he lines up.”

Trawlerman is joined in the line-up by Clarehaven stablemate and stalwart of the division Sweet William, with Shackleton the chosen representative of Ballydoyle and Saeed bin Suroor’s Gold Cup third Dubai Future also engaged.

The field is completed by Tom Clover’s Al Nayyir, who was agonisingly denied by Vauban in this 12 months ago and suffered a similar fate at Sandown when last seen in the Esher Stakes.

“We’re really happy with the horse and he looks to have trained nicely since his run at Sandown,” said Clover.

Al Nayyir was second in this race last year (
Al Nayyir was second in this race last year (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I always wonder if this is the time of year he is at his best as he does come to hand a bit, which is encouraging. He looks super in himself and we will keep everything crossed for a big run.

“The only slight niggle for us is the ground and being that little bit older he might not want it this tight, but he has gone very well on it previously and has been working very well.

“It’s obviously going to be a very tall ask and although there are only six runners, it looks deep. But I do think he warrants his place in this field and if the others go really hard, it might set up well for him.”

There is also Group Two action in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, where Ed Walker’s Do Or Do Not looks to turn some consistent form into a deserved success.

Do Or Do Not (left) has been a model of consistency
Do Or Do Not (left) has been a model of consistency (Joe Giddens/PA)

Second in both the Coventry Stakes and July Stakes before also finishing third in a strong renewal of the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, he now reverts to six furlongs with first-time cheekpieces in place.

“He’s been a very fun two-year-old and unlucky not to win one, but he’s been aimed high and we’re doing so once again,” said Walker.

“He’s in good form and I don’t see any problem with the drop back to six furlongs. They went very very fast when he couldn’t go with them down the hill in the July Stakes at Newmarket and I think he will be all right and we’re going to run him in cheekpieces.

“He ran really well at Goodwood as well and his form is really rock solid.”

Burke’s dual winner Reciprocated and Declan Carroll’s Thirsk novice scorer Lifeplan are other interesting names among a field of eight.

Star-studded cast in the making for British Champions Day

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Many of the best horses in Europe have been entered for Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on October 18.

This year the card has been extended to seven races with the addition of a two-year-old contest, while with the upgrade of the Long Distance Cup to Group One status there will be five top-level events for the first time and a record £4.35million in prize-money.

The feature Qipco Champion Stakes sees recent King George winner Calandagan, Delacroix, Ombudsman, Los Angeles and last year’s winner Anmaat among the 38 entries.

Calandagan was second 12 months ago and his trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has also entered 2024 King George winner Goliath and the unbeaten Daryz.

Calandagan has a good record at Ascot
Calandagan has a good record at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Karl Burke’s Royal Champion was last seen impressing in the York Stakes, a win which has taken him up to a lofty rating of 120.

“He is now the highest-rated horse I’ve ever trained,” said Burke. “Hopefully he can live up to that, he wouldn’t want the ground too slow but if he remains in good form we’ll head to Ascot for the Champion Stakes.”

One name missing from the Champion Stakes is Field Of Gold, although he is one of the 38 in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Queen Anne Stakes winner Docklands, Lockinge victor Lead Artist, Sussex Stakes winner Qirat and Sunday’s Prix Rothschild heroine Fallen Angel are all QEII possibles.

Fallen Angel’s trainer Burke has a trip to Ireland in mind for her next, but Ascot is firmly in his sights.

“Fallen Angel has come out of her latest race in perfect condition. There’s a good chance we head to Champions Day for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes,” he said.

“She’ll have a trip to the Matron (Leopardstown) first, then to Newmarket for the Sun Chariot and then we could take on the big guns if she continues in good form. We’d fancy our chances if the ground came up on the slow side.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Gold Cup hero Trawlerman is one of 29 in the British Champions Long Distance Cup for an increased pot of £500,000. Stablemates Courage Mon Ami, Sweet William and French Master also feature.

Recent Goodwood Cup one-two Scandinavia and Illinois as well as Jan Brueghel are all possibles for Aidan O’Brien who struck last year with Kyprios.

There are 53 in contention for the British Champions Sprint Stakes with Royal Ascot winner Lazzat topping the bill.

Lazzat was a Royal Ascot winner in June
Lazzat was a Royal Ascot winner in June (John Walton/PA)

He could be joined by fellow French-trained entries such as Beauvatier, Daylight, Topgear and Woodshauna.

Dockland’s trainer Harry Eustace has entered Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals after her good effort over five furlongs at Goodwood last week.

“Time For Sandals won over six at Ascot, so it makes sense to give her an entry,” he said.

“How she runs next time out will determine if she goes, she’s had quite a long season, because we prepped her up like she might be a Guineas filly, so she’s not a definite just yet.

“However, if she wins her next start, it will be really hard not to go there. Having one horse going there is a proud moment, but having two would be extremely exciting.”

Venetian Sun on course for Prix Morny before stepping up in trip

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Karl Burke is keen for Venetian Sun to have one final outing at six furlongs in the Prix Morny before she steps up in distance later in the campaign.

The unbeaten two-year-old followed in the footsteps of former Spigot Lodge inmate Dandalla when backing up Albany Stakes success in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and with the form of both races looking red-hot, connections are justified in aiming sky high with their talented daughter of Starman.

“She’s a very high-class filly and we’re aiming her at the Morny,” said Burke.

“If everything is as it should be at that stage going into the race – we’ll have a good opposition at the time – then she will probably go there.”

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, Venetian Sun is sure to move up in trip in a bid to replicate Burke’s Fallen Angel at the Curragh in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14.

But before that, the exciting youngster is being prepared to head to Deauville on August 17, where she has the chance to join the Middleham handler’s 2017 winner Unfortunately on the Morny roll of honour.

“If we don’t go to the Morny we will go straight to the Moyglare and all being well if she does take in the Morny, she will then go on to the Curragh and the Moyglare over seven as well,” continued Burke.

“We’re very keen to step her up to seven, but the Morny is too big a prize to leave behind and it will be very interesting to see who stands their ground for the race and at the moment it’s what she is being trained for.

“She came out of Newmarket bouncing fresh and she has just started picking up her work and we’re ready to build her up for the Morny.”

Fallen Angel a Group One winner again in Prix Rothschild

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Karl Burke was thrilled to see Fallen Angel join elite company when showing plenty of fight to edge out January and claim the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

Reunited with Danny Tudhope, who partnered the top-class Spigot Lodge inmate to Irish 1,000 Guineas glory last season, the daughter of Too Darn Hot was never too far away from the pace in the Group One event, but looked vulnerable when the Aidan O’Brien-trained duo of January and Exactly loomed large on either side.

It was January who would prove the biggest challenger and as Fallen Angel began to tussle with her Ballydoyle rival it appeared Christophe Soumillon had gained the advantage aboard the Falmouth Stakes runner-up.

However, Fallen Angel would not lie down and showed the toughness that has been a hallmark of her career to wrestle back supremacy and register a neck verdict in the nick of time.

It was the first time she had tasted success in the colours of owners Wathnan Racing but by adding a third success at the highest level she joins Laurens by winning top races in three successive seasons for their Middleham-based trainer.

Burke said: “She’s a great filly and she is now a Group One winner at two, three and four like Laurens and I think it’s a great achievement to have trained two good fillies like that.

“I was a little bit surprised that James Doyle didn’t go for her (over Crimson Advocate) and I did tell him she had been working great since Ascot, in particular in the last couple of work mornings.

“We put cheekpieces on her today because she’s a little bit older now and has been going up and down the gallop at Middleham for a few years now and her work was just getting that little bit lacklustre.

“But a couple of occasions we’d worked her with the sheepskins on and she’s really worked well and even without them on her work has stepped forward so I was delighted she was able to show it on the track.

“The ground was definitely better for her today and Ascot was too quick for her. If you watch the replay, she travelled on it, but when she was asked to quicken coming round the bend her head was coming up and it was only the last 100 yards that she relented to go forwards again.

“She’s not ungenuine and tried her hardest then, but she just wants that little bit of juice in the ground really.

“We went over there, and without sounding overconfident, we were pretty bullish she would run well and she has proved she’s still got plenty of talent. She’s very tough and she’s now got another Group One in the bag.”

Trainer Karl Burke was thrilled with Fallen Angel's victory
Trainer Karl Burke was thrilled with Fallen Angel’s victory (Mike Egerton/PA)

It could prove a case of unfinished business wherever Fallen Angel makes her next start, with Burke mentioning both a quick return to France for the Prix Jean Romanet on August 24 and Leopardstown’s Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes (September 13) as possible options.

A repeat visit to Deauville would see the four-year-old make just her second start at 10 furlongs having tried the trip for the first time when narrowly beaten in the Prix de l’Opera last October.

Meanwhile, Fallen Angel found just Porta Fortuna too strong in the Matron 12 months ago and remaining at a mile for another trip to Dublin would provide the opportunity to correct the record in the Irish capital.

“She’s in the Prix Jean Romanet back at Deauville in three week’s time and the Leopardstown race would also be high on the agenda,” continued Burke.

“I’m not sure yet and I’ll sit down and have a chat with Danny, James and Richard Brown and the Wathnan team and we’ll make a plan.

“We think she will stay a mile and a quarter but she’s obviously still got the speed for a mile so we will just have to do what is best for her at the time.”

Hope Queen is Sandown Star for Karl Burke

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Hope Queen finished with a flourish to secure top honours in the European Bloodstock News EBF Star Stakes at Sandown.

A clear-cut winner on her Beverley debut a month ago, Karl Burke’s Night Of Thunder filly was a 15-2 shot stepping up to Listed class in the hands of Clifford Lee.

The Charlie Johnston-trained Jennifer Jane proved a tough nut to crack in front, but having initially thrown down her challenge against the far rail, Hope Queen was angled out inside the last of seven furlongs and picked up well to find a gap between horses and get up to score by a neck.

Lee told Racing TV: “I always knew I was going to there at some point. I was kind of locked up in behind horses wondering which was going to fade away and which one was going to keep going, but once I got a clear run I always knew she was going to gallop to the line.

“She’s definitely not shy, even though she’s a filly she’s quite bullish in that way.

“After her first win at Beverley we knew she’d be a nice filly and it’s nice to get a Listed win today.

“Off that run today I’d nearly stick at seven furlongs or go to a mile in these better grade races. She galloped to line nicely and handled the ground very well.”

Publish is the new favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas with Coral after adding his name to an illustrious roll of honour in the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes.

Subsequent Guineas heroes Kameko (2009) and Ruling Court (2024) both made a winning debut in this race in recent years, while Nostrum (2022) and Arabian Crown also struck gold before going on to bigger and better things.

John and Thady Gosden’s Publish looked a winner in waiting when coming from an unpromising position to finish second to Pacifica Pier three weeks ago and went one better as the 4-7 favourite under James Doyle, leading for much of the way and seeing off his chief market rival Catullus by a length and a quarter.

“He obviously ran a nice race here first time out, he took a step forward for that, the second (Catullus) has got solid form and he won well,” said Thady Gosden.

“He’s always looked a nice type, he’s by Kingman and has a great attitude. He’s got plenty of stature to him and hopefully he’s a horse that will keep on progressing.

“We’ll see (where we go next), he’s done lots of growing, he’s a big boy now and we’ll see how he comes out of the race, but he might want a bit of time to develop.”

Coral make the Juddmonte-owned Publish their 8-1 market leader from 20-1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas, but Paddy Power and bet365 offer more generous odds of 16-1.

The Juddmonte silks were in the winner’s enclosure for a second time on the afternoon after Andrew Balding’s Tarriance (5-2) denied Pendragon a four-timer in the George Lindon-Travers Memorial Handicap.

Andrew Balding’s Tarriance was making his handicap debut having won once and placed twice in three outings in maiden and novice company and the son of Frankel showed a willing attitude to beat 5-4 favourite Pendragon by half a length.

Winning jockey Oisin Murphy said: “He showed a very good attitude, we obviously went very steady.

“We got racing early, from the bottom of the straight, and I tried not to press ‘go’ and ask him too soon, but I liked his attitude and he’s progressive.”

No hurry for Burke to set Venetian Sun target

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Karl Burke is keeping his options open with Venetian Sun following her latest big-race success at Newmarket last week.

The Spigot Lodge handler has not made any secret of the regard in which he holds the Starman filly and she has so far lived up to the billing, with a debut success at Carlisle followed by victories in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July course.

She will now be readied for a step up to Group One company for the first time, but whether that will come at Deauville next month or the Curragh in September remains to be seen.

“Venetian Sun is 100 per cent, she’s had a nice easy week on the water treadmill and we’re very happy with her,” Burke said on Thursday.

“We’ll start preparing her and look at the Prix Morny and see whether we go. If we go there we’ll go on to the Moyglare, or we could go straight to the Moyglare.

“We’ll see how she is and make a decision closer to the time.”

Venetian Sun stays unbeaten in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes

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Venetian Sun narrowly held off the late charge of Royal Fixation to win the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and in the process take her unbeaten record to three.

Sent off the 2-5 favourite after a convincing Albany Stakes success at Royal Ascot, Venetian Sun travelled supremely well throughout the six-furlong Group Two and when Clifford Lee asked her to quicken, it looked a matter of how far.

Royal Fixation and William Buick had other ideas though, launching their challenge away from the market leader in the final furlong, with Venetian Sun’s margin only a neck in the end, although there was still a slightly cosy feel to it.

The Karl Burke-trained winner was left an unchanged 14-1 shot for next year’s 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power.

Burke said: “This race wasn’t part of the plan originally, we just made a decision last week to enter and have a look at the race and if we were happy with the filly and happy with the race then we might take our chance.

“There’s been no issues with the filly, but we haven’t trained her for this race – we’ve been fairly easy on her since Ascot, as you would expect, with the thought that we’d go for the Lowther at York or maybe the Prix Morny.

“Now she’s won a Group Two that brings the Morny into it more than the Lowther. We won’t say we’re definitely going to the Morny, but if the ground is a bit easier and it’s a race we think we can be very competitive in we could go there and still have time to get her ready for the Moyglare.

“If we’re not happy with her for the Morny, we’ll go straight to the Moyglare.”

Venetian Sun and jockey Clifford Lee after winning the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket
Venetian Sun and jockey Clifford Lee after winning the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)

Burke completed the Albany/Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes double with Dandalla five years ago, while Laurens and Fallen Angel were both Classic-winning fillies for the Spigot Lodge handler, who has made no secret of the regard in which he holds his latest potential star.

“I would say she’s another league above Dandalla, who was a very good racehorse but this filly is a little bit special,” he added.

“She’d be quicker than Laurens and Fallen Angel. They were high-class, Group One-winning fillies and this filly hasn’t done that yet, but she’d be a lot quicker and she’s a very straightforward filly with a fantastic mind.”

Ed Walker was delighted with the performance of runner-up Royal Fixation.

He said: “I’m very proud of her. You come in here off the back of a Thirsk maiden and you don’t really know how good you are, but she’s very good.

“It would have been disappointing if she had run badly as we rate her very highly among our two-year-olds, but to run that filly (Venetian Sun) as close as we did is pretty exciting because I think she’s a very special filly.

“Briefly I thought we might get there. I could just sense from Will’s body language that he thought he had a chance.

“I think she was a bit green. She never came off the bridle at Thirsk so today is the first time she’s had a proper race. There’s lots more to come, I’d say.

“I don’t know where we’ll go next – I’ll have a cold beer and worry about that later. The Lowther has got to be a potential target.”

Burke predicting ‘big future’ for German Derby second Convergent

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Karl Burke admitted to having mixed emotions following Covergent’s agonising German Derby defeat on Sunday.

The Fascinating Rock colt travelled to Hamburg with major claims, having finished third behind dual Derby winner Lambourn and Epsom runner-up Lazy Griff in the Chester Vase in May, and looked set to oblige after battling his way to the front inside the final furlong.

However, he was denied in the very last stride by Hochkonig, whose rider Nina Baltromei made history by becoming the first woman to win the mile-and-a-half Classic.

Burke said: “He ran a great race and he’s still a raw horse and a young horse that’s improving.

“I think he’s got a big future in front of him, we’ll look after him now and he could be a very good horse for later this year and into his four-year-old career.”

The Spigot Lodge handler plans to give Convergent a short break before bringing him back for a late summer and autumn campaign and feels he has not yet reached the ceiling of his ability.

“We’ll take our time, there’s no real plan – yesterday was the plan,” he added.

“He wants good ground, he doesn’t have to have it soft but he doesn’t want it firm, so there’ll be no rush with him.

“He won’t get home until tomorrow (Tuesday), so we’ll get him back and give him a couple of easy weeks and start to make a plan for probably late August and into September and October.”

Bright Thunder oozes class in Deauville romp

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Bright Thunder enjoyed visiting France once again, as she blazed her way to victory in the Prix Goldikova.

Karl Burke’s four-year-old was a Listed winner at Chantilly last summer and after going close on home soil at Goodwood and Epsom earlier this season, gained some valuable compensation on the continent.

It was a victory that was a welcome tonic for the Spigot Lodge team after near misses both earlier on the Deauville card with Spycatcher and in the German Derby with Contingent and there could plenty more to look forward to with the daughter of Night Of Thunder after her commanding performance in the hands of Sam James.

James told Sky Sports Racing: “She jumped really well, if not too well and I wanted to get a bit of cover.

“However, once I got behind Christophe (Soumillon on  Rubies From Burma) on the lead horse she settled away grand and I thought we were going quite slow so I was quite happy to let her find herself and keep coming.

“She doesn’t find an awful lot off the bridle but to be fair to her today she’s really quickened up and put the race to bed.

“A Group Three wouldn’t be out of the question for her and the faster they go in these races the more it suits her. She seems to like coming over here so maybe she can come over again.

“You can sometimes get racing a long way out on a straight mile, but today it all went to plan and she obviously likes coming over and Karl does as well when he brings horses over here.”

Convergent seeking German Derby glory for Burke

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Convergent bids to provide trainer Karl Burke with a third European Classic success in the German Derby in Hamburg on Sunday.

Although the Spigot Lodge handler has yet to taste Classic glory in Britain, he saddled Laurens to land the 2018 French Oaks before Fallen Angel ran out a brilliant winner of last year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas.

The lightly-raced Convergent heads across Europe with leading claims, having confirmed the promise of a couple of low-key wins at Redcar by finishing third behind subsequent dual Derby winner Lambourn and the Epsom runner-up and Curragh third Lazy Griff in the Chester Vase in May.

Burke said: “I’m looking forward to seeing him run. He’s a progressive horse, we think he’s a really nice horse with a big future in front of him, so hopefully he can prove that on Sunday.

“We missed Royal Ascot because of the ground – he’d have gone there if it had been a bit slower ground. They say the ground is beautiful in Hamburg with a lovely covering of grass and we’ve got a reasonable draw (stall seven), so all things being equal he should run a big race.”

Reflecting on his Chester performance, the trainer added: “It wasn’t the plan to make the running there, I know making the running can help at Chester but he’s a big, raw horse and because nothing wanted to go forward we ended up in front.

“I wouldn’t say it was a huge disadvantage, but he’ll be a better horse with a lead and I think we’d have finished closer again if we’d been tracking them rather than them tracking us.”

Convergent is the sole British raider in a field of 18 runners.

New Beverley race seen as a good fit for Al Qareem

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Al Qareem is on track to fly the flag for Yorkshire in the inaugural running of the Charlie Wood Stakes at Beverley on Saturday.

Trained by Middleham’s Karl Burke and owned by the locally-based Nick Bradley Racing, the six-year-old is a fitting competitor in the mile-and-a-half Listed event which was previously run as the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and now named after his Hull-born contemporary, the 1887 champion jockey Wood.

“I think he will run and I see a couple of them in the race have been declared elsewhere and I think it is a very winnable option for him,” said Nick Bradley.

“It’s a new race with £28,000 to the winner, it’s a Listed race and even with a penalty he’s clear of everything else in the race. Beverley is a front-runner’s track and will suit him so I don’t see too much wrong with the race.”

Al Qareem has been in top form this season, winning at Nottingham in the Further Flight Stakes in April before finishing an honourable second to Aidan O’Brien’s Gold Cup runner-up Illinois at Chester.

He followed that up with a destructive display at York when handing Willie Mullins’ Absurde a four-and-a-half length beating in the Listed Grand Cup, and a return to the Knavesmire for the John Smith’s Silver Cup is available as an option if connections make a late defection from Beverley.

“The alternative is York the following race and he’ll run in one of the two, but I think I’m favouring Beverley.” continued Bradley.

“He did well last time and Clifford (Lee, jockey) gave him a brilliant ride that day, he got the second horse (Absurde) keen and we got lucky that a few behind didn’t really show up.

“I thought it was a career best but I’m not sure the horse is particularly getting really better, we’re just managing him better and placing him better. We know him more now.”

Options aplenty for impressive Albany heroine Venetian Sun

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Connections of Venetian Sun will be dreaming big after she rose admirably to the challenge at Royal Ascot to land the Albany Stakes.

The filly has clearly always been held in high regard by trainer Karl Burke, and demonstrated exactly why when overcoming a difficult draw to take Group Three honours by a length and a half last week.

While there is no great hurry to formulate an immediate plan for the two-year-old daughter of Starman, a handful of races have been identified as possible next targets for the Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy-owned youngster.

Bloom’s racing manager Sean Graham said: “Karl said she came out of the race in great order.

All smiles for the Venetian Sun team at Royal Ascot
All smiles for the Venetian Sun team at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“You’ve Newmarket for the Duchess of Cambridge, which is six furlongs at the July meeting, and you’ve got the Lowther over six furlongs at York. Later in the season you’ve also got the Moyglare over seven furlongs at the Curragh.

“We said to Karl that we’d let the hare sit after Royal Ascot and not be in any mad rush to make any definite decisions, but those races are certainly on our radar.

“If you win the Albany from a dreadful draw you probably have a much better filly still, she had no cover and was on the wide outside – everything went wrong and yet she still won.”

The Guineas was mentioned in the immediate aftermath of the Ascot contest, with all connections singing from the same hymn sheet with regards to Venetian Sun’s potential, while remaining mindful that her three-year-old season is a distant prospect still.

Graham added: “I think most trainers would automatically be thinking about the Guineas with an Albany winner, but her owners are very aware that an awful lot can happen between now and then so we won’t get too ahead of ourselves.”