Karl Burke after winning the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot Stable Tour: Karl Burke on his main runners

Horse Racing

Wed June 10, 2026 · 3w ago

Karl Burke has a team of between 15 and 20 runners heading to Royal Ascot next week.

Spearheading the Spigot Lodge challenge is Group 1 Prix Morny heroine VENETIAN SUN, a 240,000 guineas purchase by Patrick Veitch of Todd Investments from Tally-Ho Stud’s draft at Book 1 of the 2024 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on behalf of Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy.

The Starman filly heads to the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot as the ante-post favourite after bouncing back from a luckless 1,000 Guineas reappearance with a three-length success in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on 23 May.

Speaking ahead of Royal Ascot, Burke reported the filly to be thriving as he told Tattersalls: “Venetian Sun didn’t stay the trip in the Guineas, dropped back into the Sandy Lane over six furlongs she’s unbeaten over six furlongs. She put up a superb performance in the Sandy Lane. She goes to the Commonwealth Cup as favourite. With a bit of luck with the draw and the ground and a bit of luck in running, she should be very hard to beat. She’s in great form.”

Burke last landed the Commonwealth Cup with Quiet Reflection in 2016, who subsequently sold for 2,100,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Karl Burke: Road to Royal Ascot

Among the older horses, Wathnan Racing’s NIGHT RAIDER takes his place in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes, on the back of an unbeaten 2026 campaign taking in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock.

Burke said: “Night Raider’s unbeaten this year over five furlongs in the Palace House and the Temple Stakes at Haydock. He heads to Ascot in great form. We think he’s got a serious chance in what was the King’s Stand. There’s a small possibility he could turn out again in the six-furlong race on the Saturday [Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes], but we’ll get the five-furlong race out the way first. He’s in great form.”

The juvenile division is bolstered by two Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale graduates from Wathnan Racing, both bred and consigned by Tally-Ho Stud and both signed for by Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown.

WILD BLOSSOM, a 300,000 guineas daughter of Mehmas, cruised home by 10 lengths on debut at Carlisle on 18 May and heads for the Queen Mary; while Tally-Ho’s 550,000 guineas Mehmas colt RULER’S PRIDE, the highest-priced colt at this year’s Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, marked himself a Coventry Stakes contender with an all-the-way Ayr maiden success on 20 May.

Burke said of Wild Blossom: “She was pretty spectacular breaking her maiden up at Carlisle. She heads to the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. She looks a high-class filly with a lot of speed, very mature filly, and I’m sure she’s got a big future in front of her, and she’s all there as well. She’s a strong filly. But she’s got a great mind.”

Of Ruler’s Pride, Burke added: “He broke his maiden up at Ayr. He looks a real good recruit from the breeze-up. He’ll head for the Coventry. He will have an entry in the Norfolk, but more likely to go six furlongs. A real good, strong, galloping two-year-old with a big future in front of him.”

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Another exciting juvenile filly in the Spigot Lodge ranks is LIGHT OF DAWN, a daughter of Showcasing who made a winning debut at Carlisle on 8 June, just a week ahead of Royal Ascot.

Purchased by Mick Murphy's Longways Stables for 140,000 guineas from Book 1 of the 2024 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the filly has since joined the Wathnan Racing roster and could take her chance at the royal meeting in the Group 3 Albany Stakes.

“She is a new Wathnan recruit, she looks a high-class filly. She’s got an entry in the Albany, and I’d imagine that’s where she’ll end up rather than the Queen Mary. She looks a very promising filly," the trainer added.

The Queen Mary picture is further strengthened by Listed Marygate Stakes winner LOVE A GIGGLE, who arrives at Ascot unbeaten. She made a winning debut at Southwell in April, landing the first £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus of the year, before adding the Listed Marygate Stakes at York under Clifford Lee, Burke’s third success in the race in four years.

Burke said: “Love A Giggle won the Marygate after breaking her maiden at Southwell. She then went and put up a real good performance in the Marygate. She’s heading to the Queen Mary. She’ll possibly have an entry in the Albany, but I would say Queen Mary is where she’ll end up.

“She’s definitely stepped forward again after the Marygate. She looks very strong. I am really happy with her - very tough filly.”

Alparslan powers to victory in the Greenham

Burke is bidding for a third Queen Mary win in five years, having landed the race with Dramatised in 2022 and Leovanni in 2024.

Burke’s miling division is led by Group 3 Greenham Stakes winner ALPARSLAN, The Dandy Man colt led for most of the way before being run down by Gstaad in last month’s Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, his second appearance at the track after taking the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes in September 2025.

“Alparslan’s been a great horse for us, he was the Greenham winner this year. He probably didn’t stay the trip in the Irish Guineas. He has an entry in the Commonwealth Cup but is unlikely to drop back to six, it’s more likely that he’ll go for the Prix Jean Prat at the end of June. But we still think he’s got a chance of being a Group One horse over the seven-furlong trip," the Middleham trainer said.

Rounding out the Tattersalls-bought team is Linda Mars’ Redcar maiden winner REVELS, a 350,000 guineas purchase by Andrea Brereton’s Fortune Bloodstock from Adrian O’Brien’s Hazelwood Bloodstock draft at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The Lope De Vega colt, bred by Laundry Cottage Stud and the Lope De Vega Syndicate, is the first foal of Burke’s former Listed Queen of Scots Stakes winner Snooze N You Lose, and is set for the Chesham Stakes after a winning debut on 18 May.

He said: “He’s a Lope De Vega out of Snooze N You Lose, who was a Listed winner for us a few years ago. He put up a really nice performance on his debut at Redcar and can only improve on that. He’ll head for the Chesham, although he is qualified for the new Windsor Castle as well, but I would imagine seven furlongs is going to be a better trip for him. A horse with a big future, I think. He’s a lovely, good-actioned colt and has got a good temperament.”

Reflecting on the scale of his Royal Ascot challenge, Burke concluded: “We look like having a big team this year at Ascot. We could have up to between 15 and 20 runners if they all get there in one piece. Obviously, that brings certain pressures along the way. So hopefully at least one of them can finish with his head in front, or her head in front.”

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