Burke On High After Record Year

After a season during which his stable breached the million-pound prize-money mark for the second year running and recorded its highest tally of winners, Karl Burke should be feeling on top of the world. Mind you, training where he does, from his scenic North Yorkshie eyrie, he's entitled to feel that way every day.

Even from the misleadingly titled Low Moor there's a sense of being above the clouds as clumps of fog cling to the hillsides below, partially obscuring the vast Park Farm operation of Burke's Middleham neighbour Mark Johnston.

In 2015 and '16, Burke made a major breakthrough, first with Odeliz (Ire) (Falco) and then Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), each of whom notched a brace of Group 1 wins. Then in 2017 the stakes were raised again. First the admirable little toughie Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {GB}) appeared, winning twice in advance of Royal Ascot, including the Listed National S., before adding another Listed success at Sandown and scrapping home in the mud at Glorious Goodwood to land the G3 Molecomb S. Less then three weeks later he made his first appearance in Group 1 company in the Prix Morny, with the one horse standing between him and glory being his stablemate Unfortunately (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}), who the previous month had won the G2 Prix Robert Papin.

Further success for Burke's Spigot Lodge stable was to come in September and October when the statuesque Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) won first the G2 May Hill S. then the G1 Fillies' Mile to ease her way into this year's Classic betting.

“We were just so lucky to have three really good horses all together. The previous year we had Quiet Reflection there as well, even though she didn't quite perform as hoped last year, but it was exciting for everybody connected to the yard,” says Burke over a quick coffee break in the middle of four lots on a wet and windy morning.

The grim weather may present its own challenges as fresh older horses and inexperienced youngsters take to the vast expanse of the moor, but it does little to dampen the trainer's enthusiasm as he thinks ahead to spring and summer, with his stable remaining in good form during the current all-weather season and a select team ready to represent him in Dubai.

“Whatever Laurens does now is a bonus really as she's already a Group 1 winner and has cemented her stud value,” he continues. “It's a similar case for Unfortunately, though he needs to win another Group 1 this year to become a major stallion, so there's a bit of pressure there. Havana Grey hasn't quite done it yet but I believe he can, even though it will be hard for him as those Group 1 sprints for 3-year-olds are few and far between. If we're keeping him at five furlongs he's probably going to have to take the older horses on straight away. The other problem will be that if we do step him up to six he's likely to run into Unfortunately. It will take some thinking about but it's a great problem to have, if you can call it a problem.”

Unfortunately may yet turn out to be one of the worst-named horses in history. The only unfortunate thing about his story so far is the premature death of his sire Society Rock, who posthumously became the leading first-season sire of 2017, with the Tally-Ho Stud-bred colt being his key flagbearer. Burke doesn't shy away from running his horses regularly and Unfortunately was ready as early as the Craven meeting, at which he was fifth in a good maiden behind subsequent Group 3 winner Sound And Silence (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). It wasn't long before he was following a well-beaten path from Spigot Lodge to northern France, where he recorded his two major wins and caught the eye of Cheveley Park Stud, who bought him after the Morny and happily decided to keep him in training at three.

“Unfortunately stays the six [furlongs] very well but he also has a high cruising speed and is from a very fast damline. I have to speak to Chis Richardson first but I imagine he will go to the Sandy Lane and then the Commonwealth Cup. I don't see anything obvious for him other than that and then, all being well, he'll be taking on the older horses,” says Burke, who has also taken delivery of a 2-year-old colt and filly to train for David and Patricia Thompson this year.

He adds, “It's fantastic to have Cheveley Park Stud involved in the yard. I think it's a real feather in our cap to have been able to get a horse that they wanted as a stallion prospect and we're very grateful that they left him with us and have also sent us a couple of really nice yearlings. I just hope we can do them justice.”

Unfortunately and Havana Grey may well be kept apart on the racecourse but at home they are inseparable, taking to the High Moor for an easy canter (video) under the watchful eye of their trainer, who admits to a secret soft spot for the latter.

“Havana Grey is as hard as nails,” he says. “He's a great character and he loves his work. Right from day one all he wanted to do was gallop. I felt sorry for him really as he's a real battler with a lot of natural speed and he deserved to win a big one. Hopefully he can do that this year. If we're talking five furlongs, he's going to have to take on the older horses straight away, probably starting at Newmarket in the [G3] Palace House. There is Listed race for 3-year-olds only over five and a half furlongs in France in April, which might come into the picture, though I'm not too keen to travel him that early in the season.”

Both horses look to be wintering extremely well, with Havana Grey particularly having developed the type of neck and quarters one might expect to see on an older sprinter. The installation of a new lighting system throughout the yard, which helps to deliver more 'daylight' to the horses during these short days, appears to be working well as Burke's string have coats which wouldn't look out of place on horses who have wintered in Dubai. The two sprinters may have done well but it is Laurens who has the imperious air of one who considers herself the queen of the yard, and there wouldn't be too many people about the place who would disagree.

The most expensive filly of the Goffs UK Premier Sale in 2016 and the first offering in Britain by Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces Sales, the daughter of Siyouni, despite being a good physical specimen, benefited somewhat from the French system of naming horses as foals. Laurens duly had extra appeal to John Dance, whose daughter is named Lauren, and his serendipitous purchase, for whom he outbid Shadwell's Angus Gold, means that the new owner of Fair Winter Farm now has a Group 1 winner to retire to his broodmare band in the coming years.

“John and Jess Dance don't live that far from us and they love to support the north [of England]. I'm just very grateful that they chose to send horses to us and I hope we can continue to be successful for them. With Laurens we are keeping all options open and we'll see how she's training,” says Burke after watching his wife Elaine canter Laurens on the High Moor in company with another of the stable's Group winners of last season, Ellthea (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

He continues, “She looks fantastic. She's strengthened, she's matured and we're confident that she's trained on. For me, the Prix de Diane is her goal at this stage. It's just a question of the route we go to get there. After that we'll have to see. We'll hopefully have the likes of Enable in our sights and be stepping up to a mile and a half, but she has to prove that she stays beyond a mile and a quarter–I'm sure she'll get the mile and a quarter.”

Perhaps its just her stature but there's no denying the regality of Laurens, who occasionally accentuates her already long stride by attempting the odd Zenyatta-like dance steps as she heads out to exercise. Burke may be one of the few trainers relishing taking on Enable this year, but on physique alone, Laurens would certainly not be outclassed.

He says, “She's always been a big, good-looking filly and she's very light on her feet, but she just had to fill her frame and now she's done that. She has that long stride and high cruising speed but she was still weak last year. When PJ [McDonald] was riding her early on we thought we'd just run her once at two. One thing we did learn about her quickly after her first run though is that she's a very clean-winded filly, which helps because you're not having to put the gun to their head at home. She never came off the bridle at home before her first run. She always just cruised though her gallops.”

With the fine-tuning and decision-making still a few months off, there's plenty to occupy the mind of the trainer who is now overseeing his biggest team to date. A new barn for another 20 stables and a covered ride are in the process of being built, and two decent-sized lots of juveniles–including Havana Grey's full-brother–are keeping him fully engaged.

“At this stage they look as good a bunch physically as we've ever had. It's our largest team of 2-year-olds and certainly the biggest team of 3-year-olds as well,” he says.

“I'm working as hard now as a I do at any time of the year but in a different way. You're watching the horses all the time and seeing them develop. It's very important at this time of year to push on at the right time and to back off at the right time. I've learned by my own mistakes that if you get either of those things wrong it can be detrimental to the horse.”

Burke's family is fully immersed in the day-to-day proceedings at the yard. Karl, Elaine and their two daughters Kelly and Lucy have all ridden winners on the track and the Burke women all play key roles in the business, not least riding out daily, while Lucy is assistant to her father and Kelly runs the office.

The numbers may be growing and the quality of individuals rising, but one of the hallmarks of Burke's career has been the success he has had with inexpensive horses, usually selected on his own judgement. The Group 1 winner Odeliz was bought at Arqana for just €22,000, while Listed winner Katie's Diamond (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) was selected at Osarus for €18,000. Another who could be worth following this year is Raydiance (GB) (Mayson {GB}), a Listed winner last year at two who was bought privately for £7,500 after being unsold at the Goffs UK Silver Sale.

He says, “I love the sales, it's one of my favourite parts of the job really. It's hard work but we go into it determined to work hard and stick to the rules that I've always had. Even though we've spent more money lately I always stick to the same principles I had when I was buying cheaper horses. I love then seeing them come through and develop.”

There's little that Burke doesn't spot as he watches his four groups of horses navigate the quiet country lanes to and from the gallops and enjoy a relaxed exercise at this important, formative stage of the year. He may share the ancient Yorkshire turf with a number of other trainers in Middleham but, based just a couple of miles away in the village of Coverham, he can remain splendidly aloof.

“Spigot Lodge is its own training centre really,” he says. “We're right between the two gallops on Low and High Moor and that works brilliantly for us. We've been here 17 years now and it's a beautiful place to live. I love the space we have and when you have several good horses in the stable, you always have something to look forward to and something to plan.”

He may train from on high but Burke's head isn't in the clouds, and with an enhanced team at his disposal this season he's likely to be contriving some pretty grand plans.