Burke eyes up Guineas with Shanakill
Karl Burke could send Lord Shanakill straight to the Stan James 2000 Guineas without a prep run following his fine effort in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
The Mill Reef Stakes winner went down by just a nose to Intense Focus in the seven-furlong Group One at Newmarket on Saturday. It was the fourth time the colt had been placed in Pattern company.
Burke will now aim his stable star at the Classic but he will give the trials a miss if the ground was soft.
âHeâs come out the race A1, no problems at all. He looks tremendous this morning,â said the North Yorkshire trainer.
âObviously we were delighted with the run, but it was a shame he couldnât quite get that extra inch out of him. It just needed a couple more strides for him to get his head in front.
âBut we have a lot to look forward to with the horse.
âHeâll be aimed at the Guineas now. After the race Jim Crowley was adamant heâd get the extra furlong and I would agree with him.
âHopefully with a clear run through the winter heâll be a force to be reckoned with next spring.
âWeâll sit down and work out a training plan for him. My initial reaction is that I wouldnât run him on soft ground in any of the trials. Weâll have to see. Take it as it comes
âHeâs a clean winded horse and I wouldnât mind going there without a run.â
Lord Shanakill is a best-priced 33-1 for Guineas glory next May.




