3 minute read

Karl Burke's juvenile cut to 4/1 for Royal Ascot's Norfolk Stakes

The Karl Burke and Wathnan Racing combination looks to have unearthed another useful juvenile after Shareholder overcame both greenness and inexperience to make a winning debut at Beverley.

The son of American sire Not This Time cost €460,000 at the Arqana breeze-up sale last month and was subsequently sent off the 6/4 favourite to make a winning debut under James Doyle.

However, that task got tougher when Shareholder missed the break and was forced to race without cover for much of the five-furlong contest. Despite all of that, James Doyle's colt arrived on the scene travelling powerfully towards the centre of the track and knuckled down well once asked to deny the previous winner Moving Gold by a short-head.

Paddy Power was seemingly impressed and reacted by cutting the winner to 4/1 (from 8s) for the Norfolk Stakes.

Speaking on the track's X feed, Burke said: "I'm relieved as much as anything, he's a horse with a big reputation and he was very good at the breeze-ups, but the breeze-ups are a long way from galloping two furlongs on a flat track to five furlongs up a hill here,"

"We knew we had a good horse, but it's nice to get the job done and I'm delighted with his attitude.

"We've only had him three weeks, we haven't had a good run at him really and we haven't got a lot of time going into Ascot. Today was just planning to see if he was good enough to go to Ascot – we thought he was on his homework work, and I think he's just shown there that's he's plenty good enough."

Doyle told Racing TV: "He was a little tardily away and they were going quick in the first few hundred yards, they ripped along, and they got a bit of a break on me, but we were just keen to try to make it as smooth as possible with him.

"He's quite racy this fellow and when he got a slow start, he just fired up a little bit and took time to settle back into a rhythm. He moved into the race super and when he popped his head in front, he just got a bit lost and jumped the winning line, but I was pretty happy he was always going to hold off the other runner.

"Obviously (the second) had experience and it was our first day at school, so you'd have to be pleased."

Perfect Part defies odds of 125-1 to land the Hilary Needler Trophy

Earlier on the card, Perfect Part was a shock 125-1 winner of the Hilary Needler Trophy EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes for trainer Brian Ellison and jockey Cam Hardie.

The £10,000 breeze-up purchase plotted her way through from the rear of the field under Cam Hardie before fending off the 7/2 favourite Maw Lam, who suffered trouble in running after missing the break, to make a winning debut at odds of 125-1.

"The owner (Keith Brown) filled me with confidence and said, 'if you're out there to win, get stuck in but if she isn't good enough, there'll be another day'. The boss (Ellison) was the same as well, just see how you run first time, surprises happen and you've got to be in it to win it," said the winning rider on Racing TV.

"She does well with her work at home and she's not short of speed and was very professional today first time out and she got the job done.

"I was kicking myself about two furlongs out when nothing was taking me into the race, but it opened up lovely and probably helped me because she was a little bit green when she hit the front. I kind of got a tow a little bit further and it helped me out."