Karl Burke eyeing Chantilly target for Laurens
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Laurens could be sent on a return trip to France later in the season for the Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly.
After finding only the Freddy Head-trained Polydream too strong in a seven-furlong Group Three at Deauville, trainer Karl Burke is keen to step the daughter of Siyouni up to a mile for a shot at the Group One prize on October 1.
He said: "Laurens ran a fantastic race in France and got beaten by possibly an exceptional filly. Coming into the race, there was a lot of talk about her (Polydream)."
He went on: "She is in the May Hill at Doncaster. I have got to have a bit of a discussion with the owner, but I would like to run her in the Marcel Boussac as well.
"I think with the way she travels and her cruising speed, a mile and a quarter will eventually be her optimum trip.
"I could see her being a French Oaks contender next year. It is a hell of long way until then, but it is nice to think she could be a horse for that race."
A step up to Group Three company could be on the cards for Listed winner Raydiance, with Burke earmarking the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury as a potential target.
He said: "We made a decision to give him a little break after Ascot as we didn't want to get tempted into running him on ground that was too quick in August, although given how the weather has been, we probably could have placed him somewhere.
"Something like the Horris Hill in October seems a good target to me. He is a fair horse in that grade on soft ground."
The Leyburn handler is weighing up two options for Born To Be Alive following his second place finish in a Listed contest at Clairefontaine.
He said: "Born To Be Alive is a lovely horse for the future. For a horse that has only had a few runs, he ran well in France.
"He might go to Ayr for the mile-and-a-quarter Listed race at Ayr (Doonside Cup) and I have made an entry in the Cambridgeshire for him and that is another possibility."
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