Burke has a silver lining after Royal Ascot blow

KARL BURKE hopes to have Quiet Reflection back for an autumn campaign after ruling the Yorkshire horse of the year out of Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Victorious in last year’s Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting, the filly took a while to come to hand this season after a succession of niggly problems. She did make it to Haydock for the last month’s Temple Stakes, where she finished 10th of 12 runners over an inadequate five furlongs on ground that was too quick, but she has now suffered another setback.

The likelihood of unsuitably fast ground had already put Quiet Reflection’s participation in doubt.

Leyburn-based Burke said: “The silver lining is that it doesn’t look like it would have been her ground anyway, but even if it was she wouldn’t be going.

“She’s just had a recurrence of the problems which affected her early in the season. We’ll hopefully have her back for an autumn campaign and the obvious races are the Sprint Cup at Haydock and Ascot on Champions Day.”

The 22 horses still in contention still include a strong Yorkshire representation courtesy of Richard Fahey’s Growl, Kevin Ryan’s Brando and David O’Meara’s Suedois.

Last year’s winner Dartmouth is one of 19 horses left in Saturday’s Hardwicke Stakes.

The son of Dubawi, who is owned by the Queen, took the scalp of Highland Reel 12 months ago and has been in winning form already this term, lifting the Yorkshire Cup last month.

His trainer Sir Michael Stoute is also represented by Across The Stars, who took the King Edward VII Stakes last year.

Another 2016 Ascot winner in the picture is Prince of Wales’s scorer My Dream Boat, trained by Clive Cox.