John Burke

Good morning all,

Just one more sleep before the start of the Ebor Festival.

The headline races of the first three days are the three Group 1 races – the Juddmonte International, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Nunthorpe Stakes – and on Saturday we have Europe’s richest Flat handicap Sky Bet Ebor Handicap. Add in races like Gimcrack & Lowther Stakes and a host of big field competitive handicaps and you have the makings of four days of fantastic racing.

Unlike 12 months ago when there were no paying spectators in attendance. The racecourse is expecting over 80,000 people through the gates over the four days.  And your's truly is going to be there on Friday for Nunthorpe Day.

Looking at the weather forecast it looks like there could be some light rain at York today but it increasingly looks like a mainly dry week although there could be some more light rain on Saturday. The going at York at the time of writing is being described as good. It shouldn’t get any worse and we should see the racing take place on a sound surface.

The final declarations are now out for Wednesday's card and I’m already through four of the seven races.  The big news on Monday was the non-declaration of Juddmonte International ante post favourite St Mark’s Basilica due to a setback. His defection means stablemate and last year’s Yorkshire Oaks heroine Love has been diverted to the race. It’s sad that we won’t be able to see the exciting St Mark’s Basilica on the Knavesmire. However, in some ways the colt’s absence makes the race a more competitive heat.

As its Tuesday its “eyecatcher day”.  I have three horses for the tracker which you can find inside today’s main piece. Plus, I have had a look at a couple of Tuesday’s races.

Read More »Tuesday Selections

Good morning all,

The start of a new week and what a week its set to be. It’s the start of my favourite of the summer flat racing festivals: York’s Ebor Festival. All the action gets underway on the Knavesmire at 1:50 on Wednesday. I have already started looking at the first day’s card and I can’t wait for all the action to get underway.  It’s nice to be going into the meeting in winning form and I have a few nice priced selections lined up over the four days.

Inside today’s main piece you can read my review of weekend’s big race action. Plus, a few thoughts on Monday’s racing at Windsor.

Read More »Weekend Review & Windsor Thoughts

Good morning all,

Just a week until my favourite of the summer festivals York’s Ebor meeting. Before all that there’s some decent action between now and Sunday.

The quality of racing starts to ratchet up from today. We have the start of Salisbury’s two-day August meeting with the Listed Upavon Fillies’ Stakes (4.15) the feature race of a six-race card.

There is more Listed action across the Irish Sea with the Hurry Harriet Stakes (5.35) at Gowran Park. It’s a race that has been dominated by Aidan O’Brien and Dermot Weld. The former has saddled the winner 5 times since 2011 and the latter 3 times.

Inside today’s main piece I start to look ahead to Saturday’s big races.  Plus, I have a selection from Gowran Park.

Read More »Wednesday Selection

Good morning all,

Its “Tracker Tuesday”.  There won’t be many horses for the virtual notebook well at least until after York’s Ebor Festival.

For those of you who follow my tracker horses. You will know they churn out plenty of winner’s and sometimes in the most unexpected places.

I put up the Joseph O’Brien trained colt State Of Rest after he finished 3rd of 11 on his seasonal return in a Listed race at the Curragh on Irish Derby Day. Well, the 3-year-old was sent over across the Atlantic to run in Saturday’s Saratoga Derby and he beat the strongly fancied Aidan O’Brien trained Bolshoi Ballet. He was returned at a juicy 21/1.

Maybe one of today’s three eyecatchers will go in at big odds to?

Inside today’s main piece I have three for the tracker. Plus, I have had a look at three races on this afternoon's Nottingham card.

Read More »Tracker Tuesday & Nottingham Selection