3 minute read

Karl Burke's four-year-old Royal Rhyme looks set for a big season following a cosy reappearance success in the Group 3 Chasemore Farm Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.

Karl Burke's charge was last seen finishing fifth behind King Of Steel in the Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot in October and subsequently, he was sent off the 8/15 favourite to get the better of his three rivals down in grade on reappearance.

As expected, Amy Murphy's Miss Cantik set out to ensure the ten-furlong contest was run at a good tempo and Fredrick Larsson soon found himself nearly ten lengths in front entering the straight.

However, distress signals soon began to show and both Royal Rhyme and his chief market rival Certain Lad quickly eroded the deficit. The latter moved to the front briefly, but Clifford Lee never looked to have a moment worry onboard his mount and the pair quickened up nicely to land the prize by a length.

The front-running Miss Cantik finished a further two and a half lengths back in third.

Lee said: "I always knew I was going to get there. I got the leader quite easily; it was more the second horse.

"My lad was only beaten five lengths in a Champion Stakes and can run like that in his first race of the season.

"Possibly (Royal Ascot), we'll just see how he comes out of the race. I'm sure Karl and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid will have a plan.

"We've got plenty of good horses and with a horse like him, like I say he was only beaten five lengths in a Champion Stakes. He's entitled to go for a good race, it just depends on where."