Our Friends in the North: Karl Burke stable tour and horses to follow for 2019 Flat season

Three to Follow...

Flag-bearer: Laurens is the obvious one and while it'll be tough for her competing solely at Group One level now I'd have thought, she looks in great form for the season ahead.

Most progressive: Hareem Queen is probably a bit better than she's been able to show in two starts so far and is one to keep track of when she's handicapping.

Exciting two-year-old: Never In Paris is a really nice No Nay Never filly owned by Ontoawinner and I'd expect her to win her share of races this year.

My Stable - Horse Tracking Made Simple

• Click here to register log in to your My Stable account

Guide to the team...

Laurens

Laurens is in good form, she's fine. We're under no illusions as I'd have thought it would be Group One races all the way for her now.

She was maybe a little bit disappointing on her first start against the boys in the QEII at the end of the year but she had shown one or two signs that she may have had enough for the year so we can certainly excuse her that.

She probably goes to Newcastle on Friday to have a gallop before racing. That is the plan and I'm very happy with her.

I'm glad we didn't take her to Haydock as we wouldn't have galloped her on the ground there anyway. She'd have been stood there in the freezing cold, doing nothing. It would have been an abortive trip, so it worked in our favour really.

We've still have two weeks to the Lockinge so it's fine to send her to Newcastle. The plan had been to go to Haydock for a while, but it didn't work out. She actually cantered on Saturday at home anyway - she's sound. It was just a little bang and we were being cautious really. After she's been to Newcastle, she'll need a couple of little pieces at home to put her right for the Lockinge.

Kadar

He was fourth in the Feilden and the Dante will be his next start now all being well. It might just be that he's not quite the Group One horse I hoped he'd be - perhaps he lacks a gear for that - but he's a lovely horse.

Until we try him over a longer distance you don't really know and he could run really well in something like the Dante.

Mistress Of Love

We've got her in the Irish 1000 Guineas but I'd imagine we'll need to lower her sights a little.

She needed the run in the Nell Gwyn and is better than that. She's a very nice filly but hadn't come in her coat and I'd nearly put a line through that. She's rated 86 and I'd say she's well handicapped if we go down that route although we'd like to win a Listed race with her.

Kelly's Dino

We've had the Ebor at York in mind for him for ages as he's a tough horse. He won four times last year including a mile and a half handicap at Ascot and has had three runs already this season.

Ben Curtis is adamant he wants stepping up in trip and he ran okay over a mile and six at Musselburgh last month.

He's had a little wind op which will help him finish his races and if it does then he could win somewhere and hopefully sneak into something like the Ebor. I've never really had a runner in that I don't think so would love a runner.

Lord Oberon

I made a mistake really with him in that I gave him a break at the end of last season and never really got him back. If I'd kept him going I'd have thought he'd be buzzing now but I've not got him back to the level just yet.

He's probably more of a seven furlong horse but on heavy ground he could be one for something like the Ayr Gold Cup at the end of the season.

True Mason

He's a high-class three-year-old rated 104 and he's had a run out in Chantilly. He wants a bit of cut in the ground but the plan would be to go to the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock before the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

He was third in the Prix Morny and has a lot of speed.

Divinty

She goes for the Michael Seeley, the Listed race at York's Dante meeting. She's won three races now and was good at Ripon the other day but to get black type with her would be a major thing for her.

Lady In France

She's a very nice three-year-old filly and could start off at Newcastle on Friday.

The trip might be on the sharp side (5f) and it's on the all-weather but she wouldn't want the ground too fast when switching to turf.

Hareem Queen

She's a lovely Dark Angel filly from a really fast family but didn't run as a two-year-old as she was quite backward.

She's still a bit on the weak side and we probably haven't quite worked her trip out but she will get better as the year goes on. I still think she could end up a black type filly but hopefully she'll start off in handicaps from a nice mark.

Praxidice

She looks to be doing really well now and could have a good year. She won first time out at Carlisle in September and ran well at Newmarket before disappointing at Haydock.

I'd say a mark of 78 would be fair for her, to say the least.

Robotique Danseur

She won well first time out at Newcastle but then came back lame after Haydock last weekend.

Maybe the soft ground pulled her around a little and she'll need a little bit of time. She's a big filly and hopefully by the end of the month or maybe into June she'll be back out and she's one to look forward to.

Dizzy G

She won three on the bounce as a three-year-old last season but could still be well handicapped starting out off 80 this time around.

She was beaten into fourth at Newmarket after racking up a hat-trick and we roughed her off for the year but she's come back looking much stronger.

Shallow Hal

He wants soft ground and had a good year last year but he's not brilliantly handicapped now he's up to the high 80s. Hopefully he'll win more races.

Double Reflection

She's done well physically but the handicapper never let her go last year as she was so consistent.

She ran another great race when second again at Brighton this week and I think she can win again but may need to come down a pound or two.

You're Fired

He's coming back and he actually looks in great form. He's eight now and probably isn't well handicapped with a mark of 103 but he's fit and well. He's won five times and doesn't owe us anything.

Danny Ocean

He's one of our two-year-olds to have run a couple of times and he's run one promising race and one disappointing one.

I'm not convinced our horses are flying at the moment and it'll be great when they all start clicking into gear so there could be more to come from him.

Dubai Station

He's a lovely colt by Brazen Beau and he's another lovely big horse who will hopefully be out in June when there's the option of six furlong juvenile races.

He's a little bit open-kneed so we've had to go a little bit easy but he'll be nice with a bit of luck.

Percy Green

I ran him at Newmarket first time out as he was going great at home but he ran a shocking race so I'm not sure what was going on there. He's a lot better than he showed.

Daniel Deronda

He's a big son of Siyouni and is a nice horse. He's a brother to I Can Fly. He's the first horse we've had for owner Frank Gillespie and I'm hoping he can be nice, but again it'll be later on in the year.

Convene

He's a Kodiac colt for Cheveley Park Stud and he's a real nice horse. They paid a quarter of a million for him as a foal. He's actually Dizzy G's brother and has a similar temperament. We've had to go kid gloves with him a bit but he looks smart.

Bare All

She'll win races. She was fourth at Ripon the other week after a good debut third at Redcar.

Finery

She's a Cheveley Park filly by Al Kazeem and a half-sister to Divinty so hopefully has her kind of class.

Insania

She was fifth first time out at Beverley after being drawn 10 of 10 and we saw enough that day to suggest she could win next time. She's a nice filly by Gregorian.

Unnamed two-year-old colt (Showcasing x Crystal Gal)

He cost 650,000 guineas as a yearling and just by luck he's in the stable once housed by our brilliant two-year-old Lord Shanakill a few years ago.

He's pretty big and wants a bit of time. We haven't done any fast work with him but he's a lovely big horse from a lovely family and could be anything really.

Never In Paris

There's a lot to like about her on paper and she looks the part too. She's a No Nay Never filly and I can't wait to get her out. I'd say the next two or three weeks we'll kick on and see where we are with them all.

Our Friends in the North

Brian Ellison Stable Tour

Kevin Ryan Stable Tour

John Quinn Stable Tour

Mark Johnston Stable Tour

Richard Fahey Stable Tour