Trainer saddles first three home in sprint handicap highlight.
Karl Burke's yard dominated a thrilling showpiece at the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup as Lethal Levi headed an astonishing one-two-three by the successful trainer. The five-year-old gelding, ridden by Clifford Lee, imposed a resounding verdict, three lengths clear of his rivals to make it Karl Burke's third victory in, the esteemed sprint handicap. With stablemates Silkie Wilkie and Korker taking the minor placings, it proved one of those days of utter dominance by the Burke yard.
Lethal Levi had been pretty consistent all season, and his successful seven-furlong effort at Newbury last time had caught the eye of the racing fans. That effort earned him an extra 4 lb. handicap rise to make his Ayr Gold Cup task a slightly stiffer assignment. Stalled on drawing 20, which most people regarded as not so good, this son of Run overluck had to be one of the outsiders of the field; the gate opened and out he went at 20-1. With Clifford Lee in the saddle, Lethal Levi was less than optimist about the chances of his horse; however, he started beautifully, and due to his pattern of front running, he took a commanding lead right from the word go.
When the gates opened, Lethal Levi rushed forward with Silkie Wilkie staying hot on his heels, being a stablemate. The two Burke runners ran a keen battle for the lead, keeping themselves well clear of the rest of the field as they went at a fast pace. For most of the race, it looked like the contest was between the two stablemates, but Lethal Levi found another gear in the final half-furlong, showing the stamina on full display at Newbury. He gradually moved clear of Silkie Wilkie, stretching his advantage to three lengths as he crossed the line, much to the delight of his jockey and trainer.
Clifford Lee revealed his excitement for the victory, especially considering the challenge run by the field and conditions. "I was thrilled when he won at Newbury," Lee told ITV Racing. "His fractions over seven furlongs were excellent, so I knew he'd stay well today. We went quickly from the start, but I always felt confident in the horse. Riding for Mr. Burke is always special—he gives me opportunities on some incredible horses, and Lethal Levi is one of them. This is my first Gold Cup win, and I'm over the moon. Hopefully, it's the first of many more."
Running sweetly in front of Lethal Levi, Silkie Wilkie did all she could to just get back for a close second, but it was still some way behind stablemate Korker, who outstayed her by a short head at that short head. Burke also ran another runner, Korker, who had been planned to finish third but was only beaten by a nose by Aramis Grey, who came home fourth. Aramis Grey was the first finisher not under Burke's training, completing a fine one-two-three for the North Yorkshire-based trainer. The well-backed 11-4 favourite, American Affair, ran a disappointing race from the bottleneck and then failed to place, to the detriment of punters.
For Burke, this was the latest treasure trove of success at the Ayr Gold Cup. He had first timed one home successfully back in 1994 with Daring Destiny and followed that up ten years later by winning again with Always Alight. And now, with Lethal Levi, Burke has emerged victorious three times in one of Britain's premier sprint handicaps and can only be judged as a great trainer of quality two-year-Old sprinters.
Lethal Levi has been an amazing horse all season, and we knew he had it in him, Burke said after the win. "He gave him a perfect ride, and I'm made up for the whole team. To have one-two-three in such a competitive Ayr Gold Cup was very special. It's days like these that make all the extra work worth it." With Lethal Levi's stunning victory and Burke's continued supremacy in sprinting, one now feels that the trainer has an awful lot of excellent performers under his care. The Ayr Gold Cup result will, of course, go down as one of the delights of the season, as Lethal Levi inscribed himself into the rich history of this classic.
