Karl Burke is under no illusion as to the task facing Venetian Sun but feels his three-year-old filly could hardly have done much more to prepare her for a first shot at the older sprinters in Saturday’s Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes.
Bookmakers have installed the Commonwealth Cup winner as general 9/4 market leader for Saturday’s Group One sprint on the July Course and North Yorkshire trainer Burke is heading to Newmarket in a positive frame of mind ahead of his bid to claim the famous feature for the first time in his career.
He has tasted top-class glory in the six-furlong division courtesy of Quiet Reflection and Havana Grey and compares Venetian Sun favourably with the latter, another filly who won the Sandy Lane Stakes and Commonwealth Cup in 2016 before landing Haydock’s Sprint Cup Stakes, via a good third to Limaro in that summer’s July Cup.
Speaking on a press call organised by The Jockey Club, Burke said: “We’ve had some real good sprinters come through the yard, but she’s right up there with them for sure. I think you could compare them (Venetian Sun and Quiet Reflection) as they have similar temperaments; Quiet Reflection was a very laidback filly as well.
“I think Quiet Reflection was more reliant on soft ground, she had a tremendous turn of foot on very soft ground. Obviously, Venetian Sun put up an exceptional performance at Haydock (Sandy Lane Stakes) the first time she’s really had any cut in the ground, so that would lead me to believe that, if anything, she’s probably going to be better with more cut in the ground.
"We'll have a good look at the ground but I'm sure they've put plenty of water on it and I'm sure it'll be very safe.
“I can’t say she’s improved since Ascot as we’ll find that out on Saturday, I suppose. It’s certainly the toughest sprint she’s been in. To take on the older horses she’s got to step up again, but she looks fantastic and is working every bit as well as she has done.
“If there’s a chink her armour then we haven’t found it yet. Maybe a mile is what’s going to get her beat, but over those sprint trips I think she’s very, very good.
“She takes her racing very well, she’s very professional as you can see when you see her on the track. She did a really good piece of work at the end of last week and did a little breeze yesterday.”
WATCH: Venetian Sun wins Commonwealth Cup from Spicy Marg and Division
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
As for the potential opposition, which looks likely to include two other Group 1 winners from last month’s Royal meeting, plus the progressive Wokingham winner Double Rush, Burke isn’t overly concerned about taking on Almeraq and Satono Reve – the one-two from a closely-contested Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
“Form-wise, when you get four horses in a line they can’t all be superstars I wouldn’t have thought,” he said. “And the Japanese horse (Satono Reve) being second would suggest that the Hong Kong horse (Ka Ying Rising) is a long way ahead of them. And they're probably very good horses, obviously, but are they superstars? I'm not sure.
"I think, potentially, Venetian Sun still could prove herself to be a superstar.
“Later in the year, we've definitely got the Breeders' Cup meeting on the radar. It's at Keeneland and you've got a chance of decent ground there. If she got the draw, that could be right up her street. And touch wood, if she finishes the season in good shape, there's every chance she'll stay in training next year. So that will open up a lot of horizons abroad going into 2027."
No three-year-old filly has won the July Cup since Habibti in 1983 but Burke isn’t put off by statistics either.
“It’s great to be involved in these races,” he said. “They’re the races you aspire to have horses good enough to go there, and to have a favourite there is exciting.
“Getting that weight as a filly, it counts for a lot."
Word of warning
However, there was one note of caution regarding Venetian Sun, who is jointly owned by Brighton & Hove Albion Chairman Tony Bloom, although it is something Burke admits is part and parcel of keeping any female thoroughbred in training.
He said: “She did show a little bit in season yesterday, which we hadn’t noticed before, so we’ll keep an eye on that. She hasn’t been showing any signs this morning so hopefully that’s nothing.
“I’m hoping she doesn’t show any signs for the rest of the week but it’s something we will monitor. For example, Evolutionist who we run on Friday in the Falmouth, she went to France last time and she came into season an hour before we were saddling her and she never ran her race at all.
“At the same time, Aidan’s (‘O’Brien) filly that won the race, Diamond Necklace, she was showing signs of being in season going around the pre-paddock. She won, but did she put her best foot forward? I’m not so sure. Ideally, you wouldn’t want it but that’s an issue that every trainer with a filly has throughout the year, especially this time of year."
Falmouth filly 'overlooked by bookmakers'
The aforementioned Evolutionist, runner-up to True Love in the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before flopping at Chantilly when last seen, is underestimated in the market for Friday's Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes, according to Burke.
He said: "Looking at the prices, I think the bookmakers have overlooked her.
"She's a winner on the July Course, she broke her maiden there, and I'm looking forward to running her.
"As well as being in season, I don't think she stayed that trip (extended 10f in France) either. Nothing went right and she was showing a lot more speed in her work leading up to the French Oaks, so we had a question mark going into that on trip.
"We'll find out a lot more on Friday."
More from Sporting Life
- Free bets
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.al
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
