He’s already trained a Cartier European Champion Sprinter, a Derby runner-up, and G1 winners in France, England and Italy, but British trainer Karl Burke may still have a long way to go on the current upward trajectory that is showcasing his significant talent to an increasingly widespread audience.
Burke, whose yard is based in Middleham, North Yorkshire, is the joint highest climber of the week across all the TRC Global Rankings (for jockeys, trainers, owners and sires), an 11-point gain sending him soaring 19 places up the trainers’ standings to world #69.
Unlike many British conditioners, Burke has shown he is keen to take advantage of opportunities overseas, where the prize money is usually much better than in the UK, and his move this week comes on the back of two G3 successes in Ireland on Sunday - Quiet Reflection’s impressive win in the Renaissance Stakes, which looks to have put 2016’s star sprinter right back on track after disappointing earlier in the season, and Ellthea’s win in the CL and MF Weld Park Stakes.
Ellthea, one of a flourishing squad of 2-year-olds under the 53-year-old’s care, ran in a G2 in Deauville in August. She finished down the field, but another Burke filly, Laurens, was a fine second in the same race on a weekend in which Burke sent out Unfortunately and Havana Grey to finish 1-2 in the racecourse’s big 2-year-old G1, the Prix Morny. Laurens went on to win a G2 at Doncaster earlier this month
Watch out for another rise up the rankings for Burke next week if Unfortunately, who had earlier won the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte, obliges at Newmarket on Saturday in the prestigious G1 Middle Park Stakes, for which he is favourite.
Burke, of course, nurtured Quiet Reflection through an outstanding 2016, taking the G1 Commonwealth Cup and the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock before being named the Cartier Champion Sprinter. The now 4-year-old Showcasing filly is expected to go for the G1 British Champions Sprint next month before going under the hammer at Tattersalls in December.
Burke was also responsible for dual G1-winning mare Odeliz, 2013 Epsom Derby runner-up Libertarian and the G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning Speightstown colt Lord Shanakill. Both Libertarian, who also won the G2 Dante Stakes at York, and Lord Shanakill later moved to other trainers (Libertarian to Charlie Appleby after being bought by Godolphin; Lord Shanakill first to Alan Jarvis, then to Richard Mandella and finally to Sir Henry Cecil) but they both achieved their greatest successes under Burke.
Click here for a list of last week’s biggest TRC Global Rankings points gainers.
Click here for a list of the week’s Group and Graded winners.