Karl Burke resisting big offers for Royal Ascot hero Holloway Boy - for now

Karl Burke said he was "in no hurry" to discuss offers flooding in for his remarkable Chesham Stakes winner Holloway Boy with the horse's co-owner Nick White, even with Australian training legend Gai Waterhouse among the interested parties.

Burke was speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he discussed his wonderful Royal Ascot and what the future might hold as his operation goes from strength to strength.

The cornerstone of the trainer's success has been his shrewd business mind, allowing him to redevelop and extend his Spigot Lodge stables on the back of some major windfalls, and he admitted there might be an offer big enough to tempt him to part with Holloway Boy – but not just yet.

"It's a difficult one," he said. "I was at Archie Watson's wedding last weekend and somebody from Australia kept ringing me, so I eventually answered the phone, and it was Gai Waterhouse. She is interested, as are other Australians and some people from Hong Kong.

"We own half of Holloway Boy and I'd be loath to sell him out of the yard. He is obviously a valuable commodity but at the same time, I want to train horses like him.

Holloway Boy: the Chesham Stakes winner has attracted some big offersCredit: Mark Cranham

"If he leaves us it would have to be for a lot of money, but there comes a point where you have to sell if the offer is big. It takes away a lot of disappointment when you see the zeros coming into your bank account."

Burke and his wife Elaine have always kept shares in the yearlings they buy at the sales and expect to discuss the offers with co-owner White in due course.

"I'd only ever met Nick once before Ascot," Burke said. "He came up here when we'd bought all the yearlings and we suggested he should buy half of Holloway Boy.

"I haven't yet made a plan for the horse but I think he'll have to go into Group races now. There wasn't a blow on him after the Chesham and I'm sure he'll come on for it, like so many of ours."

Read more from Karl Burke in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

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