Tag Archive for: Poptronic

Poptronic set for sales date after putting seal on her career at Ascot

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Poptronic is likely to bow out at the top following her thrilling success in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

Karl Burke’s four-year-old was sent off at a rather unfancied 22-1, but produced a career-best effort in the hands of Sam James, showing real bravery as she made every yard for a first success at the highest level.

It was a welcome return to form for the Lancashire Oaks scorer, who had disappointed in her two previous starts and Burke believes the switch to the inner track allowed her stamina to come to the fore in testing conditions on British Champions Day.

“She was brilliant and did very well,” said Burke.

“She has always been a very good filly and was given a great ride by Sam James.

“I think the switch to the inner track was to her advantage. It was half a furlong shorter and the way the race was run we got our own way in front. It all worked out brilliantly well.

“She’s a strong stayer over a mile and a half and over one-three and a bit we could make more use of her. She’s a galloper, but a high-class galloper.”

Poptronic’s Ascot success means she now has victories in every season she has been in training at Spigot Lodge, with the final act of her on-track career seeing her add a Group One triumph to her enviable CV.

Owned and bred by David and Yvonne Blunt, the daughter of Nathaniel is catalogued to be sold at Tattersalls later in the year where she will be one of the features in the Sceptre Sessions during the December Mare Sale.

Jockey Sam James speaks to Poptronic's owners David and Yvonne Blunt
Jockey Sam James speaks to Poptronic’s owners David and Yvonne Blunt (Nigel French for the Jockey Club/PA)

“She’s got a date at the sales and as far as I know she will be going there at the beginning of December,” continued Burke.

“The owners were on a high on Saturday and thinking that over, but I think it is probably the right thing to do with her.

“She’s a winner at two, three and four with a couple of Group races in there and we’ve been very happy with her.”



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Poptronic proves a smash hit with brave win

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Sam James enjoyed his biggest day in the saddle, with Poptronic all heart to deliver a surprise victory in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

A winner of the Lancashire Oaks earlier in the season, Karl Burke’s four-year-old was sent off at an unfancied 22-1 after disappointing in Group One company the last twice.

However, she showed her quality on British Champions Day and having been to the fore throughout in the hands of James – who was striking at Group One level for the first time – she had plenty in the tank as those from a positions further back presented a stern challenge in the closing stages.

Both eventual second Bluestocking and the 3-1 favourite Jackie Oh in third stayed on stoutly to push Poptronic all the way inside the final half-furlong, but they could not get by the gutsy northern raider, who finished a neck clear at the winning post. Frankie Dettori had to settle for fifth place with Free Wind.

James said: “What a day, I can’t believe it. It’s a bit surreal. I’d like to thank the owners and Karl. It didn’t go right the last day in France when she was a bit buzzy, but she’d shown her ability to beat Sea Silk Road at Haydock and she went and won a Group One.

“She is a little bit on her toes, but Karl does a great job with her and so does Kelly (Burke’s daughter), so a lot of credit goes to her as well.

“She’s a good mover so you wouldn’t think softer ground would help, but all she does is gallop. She jumped really well today, I didn’t want to be in front, but I was able to get a breather at a crucial time. No one came and joined me, so I thought I would have a chance and she was very tough.

“I knew turning in she’d be thereabouts, given how she quickened at the three, and she was able to fight them all off.”

He added: “I’d not even ridden at Champions Day before so to have a winner is surreal. All thanks to Karl for putting me on these horses, there are plenty of other lads queuing up to ride her.”



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Poptronic and Novakai to spearhead Burke’s York squad

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Yorkshire Oaks-bound stablemates Novakai and Poptronic are set to be part of a strong Karl Burke squad for the upcoming Ebor Festival.

The Spigot Lodge handler will be well represented across the top-class four-day fixture on the Knavesmire and is planning a twin assault at one of the week’s Group One features.

Novakai is set for a return to the highest level, having put a disappointing run in the French Oaks behind her with a dominant success in the Listed Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket last month.

Poptronic, meanwhile, booked her ticket with a Group Two triumph in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

“The plan is for both of them to go to the Yorkshire Oaks, all being well,” said Burke.

“I spoke to Sheikh Obaid (owner of Novakai) on Monday morning and he’s very keen for her to run there, as am I, and Poptronic definitely goes there as well.

“It’ll be a tough race but I think they both deserve their place in the line-up.”

Another Burke inmate poised to bid for a tilt at top-level honours is Dramatised, who is firmly on course for the Coolmore Nunthorpe.

Victory in the Temple Stakes at Haydock meant the three-year-old lined up at Royal Ascot as a leading contender for the King’s Stand and while she ran below expectations in Berkshire, her trainer is expecting better at York.

“We were going to go for the King George at Goodwood last week, but she’s a fast ground filly so fingers crossed she gets at least good ground at York,” he said.

“She’s in the Flying Five in Ireland next month, whether she’ll take that in after the Nunthorpe I’m not sure, but the Breeders’ Cup is the main target for her.

“She’s been fine since Ascot, no issues at all and has been working really well.”

Burke has two entries for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes in Elite Status and Kylian, but is set to rely upon the latter.

Kylian was doing his best work at the finish when third in last week’s Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and Burke feels on another day he may have passed the post in front.

He said: “I think a combination of the draw and the ground snookered us, to be honest. If we’d got in the slipstream where the second horse was, I think we beat the winner in spite of the ground.

“He’s a very good horse and he’ll go for the Gimcrack. The level, flat track and stepping up to six furlongs will be perfect for him.”

Having put a short-priced defeat in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot behind him with a Group Three win in France last month, Elite Status is being prepared for another cross-Channel raid.

Burke said: “He’ll go back to Deauville for the Prix Morny.

“I felt he definitely didn’t show his true self at Ascot. He was beaten fair and square on the day, but he definitely didn’t show his true form.

“The other day a step up in trip suited him really well and he probably won a shade cosy.”



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Poptronic digs deep to take Lancashire Oaks crown

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Poptronic finally enjoyed her moment in the spotlight when gamely holding off Sea Silk Road to win the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Since winning the Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle last season, Karl Burke’s filly had come up just short in several big races.

In two runs previous runs this season, she had done herself no favours by racing keenly, but on this occasion she was far more tractable in the hands of Sam James.

Happy to take a lead off Peripatetic until the two-furlong marker, Poptronic (12-1) still looked a bit of a sitting duck as the three big guns, Mimikyu, Time Lock and finally Sea Silk Road all laid down a challenge.

After seeing off the first two it looked like she may have to give best to William Haggas’ Sea Silk Road, who had beaten Poptronic last time out in the Lester Piggott Stakes, but Burke’s four-year-old was not to be denied.

In the last 50 yards, the run of the 7-4 favourite just flattened out and Poptronic won by a neck.

Kelly Burke, daughter of the winning trainer who rides Poptronic every day at home, said: “I was delighted, she’s been banging on the door the whole time and she’s such a genuine, tough filly.

“I think the slight change of tactics, just going that little bit more forward, has helped. She can be quite keen and because of that we’ve tried to drop her in and not let her over-race, but she’s got more settled as the year has gone on.

“I think the key with her is not to pull her around and kick early because she hasn’t got a turn of foot, she just keeps grinding it out and if you ride her for a turn of foot, they always beat her.

“She ran well behind the favourite (Sea Silk Road) here last time and she actually beat her the time before. I think it’s just how the race pans out sometimes.

“I’m delighted she’s won a Group Two now.”

When asked whether a step up to Group One level in the Yorkshire Oaks could be next on Poptronic’s agenda, Burke added: “Definitely, there’s no reason not to go is there?

“She’s ran really well at York a few times, so that could be exciting.”

James said: “I spoke to Karl before the race and she used to be a bit keen in her races, Kelly rides her every day and she’s done a great job with her.

“She was keen last year and today she was grand. They went a nice gallop so I was able to just follow the lead horse, I would have gone on had they have gone steadily but it worked perfectly. I was able to just start stretching them.

“I was a bit surprised at the price she was as the second horse had only beaten us by a couple of lengths the last day, when we were still trying to switch her off all the time. Today I was able to go forward on her and ride a race whenever I wanted really.

“It’s a big win for me. Karl has been very good to me the last couple of seasons and this filly has been very good to me. I won a Group Three at Newcastle on her and now I’ve won a Group Two and she deserves it as well.”



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