A Group 1 sprinter in the making? Runaway Newcastle winner blessed with a 'huge amount of ability' says Karl Burke

A Dubai Carnival campaign is under consideration for Night Raider, who recorded the highest Racing Post Rating in the history of the Golden Rose Stakes when a dominant winner at Newcastle on Saturday.

Karl Burke’s sprinter recorded a RPR of 120 – a figure in line with Group 1-standard sprinters over six furlongs in Europe – in the Listed event run at the track for the first time.

The Golden Rose had been staged at Lingfield since 2007, with the 2008 scorer Duff recording the previous highest winning RPR of 116. He went on to land the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster the following season.

Night Raider was ridden by Oisin Murphy for the first time, started quickly and never looked in serious danger. He beat Annaf, a Group 2 winner, by three and three-quarter lengths.

Burke said: “It was a very good performance and he’s a very quick horse. We’ve always felt he has a huge amount of ability and Oisin was pretty impressed with him.

“He’s clearly a horse who likes to get on with things. He’s relaxed at home but he’s different on the racetrack.”

Karl Burke: trainer of Night RaiderCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Clipper Logistics-owned three-year-old has a 4-4 record on the all-weather but will be reverting to turf at Meydan if embarking on a winter campaign in Dubai.

Night Raider was a well-beaten tenth in the 2,000 Guineas on his third start in May and finished last in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month. He was fifth in a Listed race at Newmarket on soft ground in August on his first start after wind surgery and Burke feels he is yet to encounter his ideal conditions on turf.

He said: “There’s not loads of options for him in the winter and the plan was to send him out to Dubai but I need to speak to the owners. He has to prove he’s as good on turf as he is on the all-weather but I see no reason why he wouldn’t be.

“We probably made a mistake trying to stretch him out to a mile for the Guineas. He’s never run over a sprint distance on fast ground though so hopefully if we head out there it’s quick ground as that will tell us what route we're looking at for next season. I’m hoping he could be a Group 1 sprinter next year but to do so he’ll have to handle both surfaces.”

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