Spark returns for Karl Burke's Quiet Reflection ahead of Haydock test

Karl Burke’s four-year-old – owned by the aptly-named Ontoawinner syndicate – was a revelation last summer, winning the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Haydock Sprint Cup.

She will be dropping back to five furlongs for her return to action after Burke expressed misgivings a fortnight ago about the filly’s well-being.

However, the spark appears to be coming back and Burke is set to take the wraps off her this weekend when she will be giving weight away all round because of her successes last season.

She will also have a new jockey – Martin Harley replacing Dougie Costello – and could face stern opposition from Aidan O’Brien’s Acapulco.

“She did her first piece of work on Sunday for 10 days and she worked nicely. It was certainly an improvement on her work over the last few weeks,” said Leyburn-based Burke. “We’re very happy, she’s back to 90 per cent of where I’d like her to be and we’ll see how the rest of the week goes.

“Her work for the last two years had always been very good, head and shoulders above everything else, this year she just wasn’t quite quickening up. We’ve found a few niggly problems that we think were causing that, we’re through ironing those out and that was her first piece.

“As long as the ground is the easy side of good, I’m pretty sure we’ll turn up.”

It is ironic that Quiet Reflection would have received her favoured underfoot conditions if she had been fit to run in last week’s Duke of York Stakes at York. Now Burke is hoping the heatwave doesn’t lead to firm ground at Haydock.

Another Yorkshire trainer keeping a close eye on the weather is Peter Niven, whose veteran stayer Clever Cookie is declared for this Saturday’s Grand Cup at York.

Sixth in Friday’s Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire, the horse will only run if conditions do not become too quick.

“It’s really the ground that might scupper us,” the Malton trainer told The Yorkshire Post.

“It was a good run on Friday. He never really got into it but he was really galloping to the line which he wasn’t doing last year. I don’t normally enter them without the intention to run. There is a bit of moisture in the ground but it looks a settled week.”

Other significant entries from this county include Mark Johnston’s Yorkidding, narrowly beaten in this month’s Chester Cup, and Brian Ellison’s Seamour, who was runner-up in last year’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

James Reveley has spoken of his pride after winning France’s Gold Cup – the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – for a second successive year on So French.

The Saltburn-born rider is France’s reigning champion jockey and said after winning the £325,000 first prize: “Everything just fell into place. This year there was a lot of pressure on because I knew we had the best horse in the race and it was just a matter of getting a good run round. It was a great feeling to pass the winning post in front.”