Karl Burke hoping to see the Venetian Sun shine again

Venetian Sun, based at Karl Burke’s Middleham yard, did justify her short odds last month, in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, although the victory was only secured by a head from 50-1 outsider Spicy Marge.

It was a second victory at the Royal meeting for the filly, which had won the Albany Stakes in 2025.

Reflecting on her latest win, Tony Bloom, said he believed she could “race on all grounds” and had proven to be “tough enough in the end”.

He said: “The great racehorses do win these difficult finishes when it's close and she's a dream horse to have. We'd been confident, but you know how difficult it is to win a Group 1 at Royal Ascot. We've got lots to look forward to with her.”

The three-year-old has come flying out of her latest Group 1 win to become the bookmakers’ favourite to overcome challenges from fellow Royal meeting victors Mission Central, Almeraq and Double Rush.

Karl will also be facing competition from fellow North Yorkshire handler Richard Fahey, who also started his training career in the early 1990s.

Four-year-old Powerful Glory, owned by Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, looks set to make his second start for the Malton-based trainer, who was earlier this year joined on his training licence at Musley Bank by his son, Peter.

The father and son team have clocked up some 32 wins in 315 runs this season, with a good strike rate of ten per cent.

Meanwhile, Karl Burke’s team, which includes wife Elaine and daughters Kelly and Lucy, has recorded 66 wins in 356 runs, with an astonishing 19 per cent cent strike rate, a result which he says helps Spigot Lodge get “so many nice horses from the bigger owners and well-bred horses”. He says the success at Royal Ascot has been key as it is “on the world stage”, ranking it as the biggest week of the year in terms of publicity for his operation as “all the major racing jurisdictions are invested in it and watching it”.

Alongside this, with more than 100 winners in each of the past five seasons and having become the country’s preminent two-year-old trainer, Karl points towards the quality and dedication of his staff as being behind his escalating success over the past decade.

So Karl said his team was taking nothing for granted as he carefully prepared Venetian Sun to take on her elders for the first time. “She’s in great form, very happy with her”, he said. “I haven’t had to be hard on her since Ascot, she did a lovely piece of work last week and we’re all set to go."

Unbeaten in six races over six furlongs, Karl believes the the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup race will be the filly’s toughest challenge to date, despite having had her stamina limitations exposed over a mile in May’s 1000 Guineas.

While Karl makes no secret of his passion for winning group races, since the Classic disappointment Venetian Sun has risen above her rivals in the Sandy Lane at Haydock and the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

"It’s probably the hardest race she’s run in so far”, said Karl, who describes Ventian Sun as “laid back". “When you start taking on these older, seasoned sprinters you have to step up again, but she’s got a lot of weapons that will help her.”

With temperatures staying above 30 degrees at Newmarket for the three days before today’s race, baking the course, Venetian Sun may need some of those weapons as Karl has admitted she potentially performs better with some ease.

“I think she handles it [quick ground], but her best form was in the Sandy Lane and every time Cliff (Lee) got off her last year, even when she was winning Group Ones, he kept saying she feels the ground a little bit. Hopefully they’ll be watering well down there and we’ll be checking the ground through the week. As long as it’s deemed safe and suitable for her, she’ll take her chance.

"She travels strongly, she’s very relaxed and there should be a good pace in the race with Quinault in there. He’d be an obvious one to go forward along with a couple of others, so there’ll be a good pace to aim at.”