Beverley win can propel Life of Riley towards Royal Ascot date
KARL BURKE’S team hope Life Of Riley can book his place at Royal Ascot by winning one of Beverley’s feature races of the year.
The exciting prospect lines up in tomorrow’s Brian Yeardley Two-Year-Old Trophy at the picturesque East Yorkshire track.
The £35,000 five furlong race has a rich recent history of producing Royal runners, with last year’s winner, Cardsharp, third in the Norfolk Stakes.
After an encouraging debut at Hamilton, Life Of Riley showed his class with an emphatic win at Ripon under young jockey Clifford Lee.
Leyburn-based Burke’s career has taken off thanks to dual Group One winners Laurens – she bids to add to her big race tally in the French Oaks on Sunday week – and the now retired Quiet Reflection.
Like Quiet Reflection, Life Of Riley is owned by the Ontoawinner syndicate. “We probably expected a little more from his debut, but he was a little bit green,” said racing director Niall O’Brien.
“He certainly made up for it at Ripon and we think he’ll step forward again. We don’t know quite how good he is yet, but we think he’s very smart. He was a bit babyish, green and coltish before his victory at Ripon, so you’d imagine he should be a good deal better for that run.
“The Brian Yeardley is a good race with good prize-money, and if were to win, we’ll go to Royal Ascot for the Windsor Castle Stakes.”
Cardsharp’s trainer Mark Johnston hopes Victory Command can complete a significant double. Richard Hannon saddles two-time winner Its the Only Way, while Big Ace (Tim Easterby), Jungle Inthebungle (Mick Channon), Wasntexpectingthat (Richard Fahey) and Tin Hat (Eve Johnson Houghton) have also been victorious in their short careers.