John Burke

Good morning all,

The nights are drawing in, the leaves are changing colour and about to fall and the kids are heading back to school. It can mean only one thing were heading into autumn.

Who knows what’s going to happen on the virus front? What we do know though is that we’re about enter one of the most interesting parts of the flat season. Over the next six weeks or so there are going to be plenty of top 2-year-old races. Great races to enjoy but which also offer tantalising hints about next seasons classics.  

Good morning all,

It’s a new day, a new month, and a new season. Well, the latter is for weather forecasters who make September 1st the start of autumn,

It looks like the mainly dry but boring dull weather is here until the weekend. That news will be music to the ears of Starman’s connections who will be hoping its stays dry for the 4-year-old’s bid for Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup. Now all they need is for Haydock racecourse not to overwater the track.

Good morning all,

The five-day declarations for Saturday’s racing are out. July Cup winner Starman is hot favourite for Haydock’s Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup and, if the weather forecasters are right, it looks like he will get his favoured sound surface. He seems likely to be reopposed by Dragon Symbol, Winter Power, Creative Force, Glen Shiel and Brando who finished behind him in the July Cup. He’s going to be very tough to beat if he reproduces his Newmarket running on Saturday.

More on the Betfair Sprint Cup in Wednesday’s column.