Convergent wins the John Porter

Ground key to Convergent bid at Newmarket on Thursday

Horse Racing

Wed July 08, 2026 · 14h ago

Convergent takes on the globetrotting veteran Rebel's Romance in Thursday's Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Karl Burke is relishing the prospect of getting his horse back on a sound surface.

Karl Burke's charge is half the age of Godolphin-owned eight-year-old Rebel's Romance and made a fine start to his campaign when beating Al Aasy in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury, since when he's finished fifth of six - beaten over 60 lengths - in Epsom's Coronation Cup.

However, Burke is keen to strike a line through the last run when the ground appeared particularly testing.

He said on a Wednesday morning press call arranged by The Jockey Club: "It (Epsom) was horrendous, with the benefit of hindsight you wish you hadn’t run but it looked a nice race for him going into it. He just didn’t cope with it.

“His first win was a maiden at Redcar and that was on pretty soft ground, he ploughed through that and then he won first time out as a three-year-old back at Redcar as a three-year-old. We always thought he wanted it, he’s a big, heavy horse.

“His last run as a three-year-old last year was on bottomless ground as well in Germany and to be honest I didn’t really blame the ground that day as when we went to saddle him he looked a shell of a horse, he looked like a horse who had had a hard season and if it had been at home I’d probably have pulled him out there and then.

“William Buick rode him that day and he said he hated the ground. We ignored his advise and ran him on it again at Epsom but he obviously doesn’t like it.

“He’s in great shape and I’m looking forward to it. I don’t think the small field matters to him, as long as there’s a bit of pace in the race and I’m sure there will be.”

The three-day Debenhams July Festival kicks off with Thursday's seven-race card, starting with the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at 13:50.

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