Karl Burke is hopeful Night Raider can bounce back from his defeat in the Qipco 2000 Guineas in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday, June 22.
The son of Dark Angel looked an interesting outsider for the Guineas after an impressive display in a novice event at Southwell in March, but he trailed home 10th of the 11 runners behind Notable Speech at Newmarket.
However, Burke is hoping the drop in trip can help him prove himself a Group-class colt at the Royal meeting next week.
Speaking to Sporting Life in a stable tour, out on Wednesday (June 12), he said:
“We’re aiming him at the Jersey Stakes. He worked this morning (Tuesday June 11) and he’s got another piece of work to do, which he’ll do at the end of this week.
“I think he’s a horse with a lot of ability, he just didn’t show it in the Guineas. Everything went wrong for him there, he got very keen and he over-raced, it just didn’t happen, but consequently Danny [Tudhope] didn’t give him a hard time.
“He’s training nicely now and we’re very hopeful.
“I thought he would stay the mile, but he certainly won’t stay it if he runs as keen as he did in the Guineas, but seven furlongs should be fine. You could even drop him back to six, he’s not short of speed.”
Another three-year-old of Burke’s beaten by Notable Speech is Native Warrior, the Wathnan Racing-owned son of Wootton Bassett finishing a three-and-a-quarter length fourth behind him at Kempton, and he has the Britannia Stakes in his sights.
A subsequent winner of a Nottingham maiden, Burke has big ambitions for this colt and believes he could be well treated if he gets in the three-year-old-only handicap.
“He’s a lovely horse,” Burke said. “I think he’s a Group horse in the making. He’s working very well. We specifically went for a little maiden to try and protect his mark for the Britannia.
“Hopefully we get in off 90 now, that’s the next thing. If we get in I think he’s very well-handicapped. We’re only thinking of the Britannia at the moment, but I do think later in the year you’ll see him in Listed and Group 3 races.”
The full Royal Ascot stable tour and video interview from Spigot Lodge will be out on Sporting Life later this week and it also features Fallen Angel, Elite Status, Caviar Heights, Royal Rhyme, Swingalong, Holloway Boy, Lethal Levi, Andesite, Leovanni, Miss Lamai, Milford, Shareholder and Motawahij.
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