Lethal Levi leads home remarkable 1-2-3 from three runners for Karl Burke in Ayr Gold Cup

There are astonishing feats, there are miracles and then there is sending out the first three home in the Ayr Gold Cup. From just three runners. And Karl Burke achieved the near-impossible despite being worried about the draw and the form of his horses. Trainers, eh?

Burke is one of the very best, a man whose Middleham yard now regularly takes on and beats the best, who defied cancer treatment to win 17 Group races in 2023 and set a new personal-best level of British prize-money, which he breezed past as Lethal Levi, Silky Wilkie and Korker came clear of the rest in a supposedly ultra-competitive sprint handicap.

"That was a nice result, wasn't it?" suggested Burke, who has history in Scotland's biggest Flat race.

"We did the 1-2 26 years ago when Always Alight beat Daring Destiny and Daring Destiny had won it four years earlier, and to get three Gold Cups is fantastic."

But Burke had gone seven days without a winner, a positive drought for a yard just short of reaching 100 for the fourth season in a row.

"The horses' form had tailed off a little bit this week," he admitted. "A few had run a bit disappointingly. But we had a double last Saturday and were unlucky not to have four winners and at least we've managed to win a big one today.

"This was quite remarkable and fair play to the whole team, everybody works hard and the horses are in great shape. The season has been amazing and I hope it hasn't finished yet."

Massive Tricast leads to almost £80,000 payout

The 20-1 winner Lethal Levi, followed home by 66-1 Silky Wilkie and 40-1 Korker, produced an eyewatering Tricast payout of £39,494.40, which is about right because it is certainly at least a one in 40,000 chance that Burke's feat will ever be matched.

And remarkably, one Coral customer is ending their Saturday almost £80,000 richer after backing it with a £2 stake in an extraordinary bet.

"We don't know if this Reading shop punter is a particular fan of Karl Burke, but if he wasn't before he surely is now after scooping this wonderful windfall," said Coral's David Stevens.

"With SPs of 20-1, 66-1 and 40-1, a tricast return of £39,494.40 for a pound would be incredible enough, but this customer had it for £2, making this a Saturday to remember."

Lethal Levi (far side) pulled three lengths clear in the Ayr Gold Cup

Lethal Levi (far side) pulls three lengths clear to win the Ayr Gold CupCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Burke had intended to go to Newbury until heavy rain changed his plans and he chose then to let assistant James Cowley and his team look after affairs at Ayr.

He watched from Middleham as Clifford Lee made most on the near side on Lethal Levi, with Silky Wilkie and Korker chasing him home in the centre.

"We thought we might have an iffy draw after yesterday, but James walked the course this morning and he didn't think there was much difference," the trainer said.

"We watched the Silver Cup and the middle looked fine. That's where we were hoping to edge — I was cursing Cliff for not edging over a little bit more, but he kept it simple and the horse is in great form."

So was Lee himself, who said: “It felt so good. The main thing is that he got the jump out of the gates. If you get that and he’s in front, he’s a hard horse to catch."

Lee has been riding for Burke since 2016, and said: “It is great for the yard and everyone at home is doing such a great job with the horses.

Sealed with a kiss: Clifford Lee with the Ayr Gold CupCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

“Karl has been great to me, he’s put me on some lovely horses and we're getting nice results out of it."

Chief beneficiaries of the yard's flying form here was the Made In Thailand syndicate, whose success in one of the world's greatest sprint handicaps was reward for their thirst for a drink in the Far East one day.

Partnership leader Chris Grayson said: “We were all in a pub in Thailand and we were all working there on the shipyards. We just said 'Oh, do you fancy a racehorse?'

“We've had a couple of horses before together, but Levi is the first one doing the business for us like this. Never in our wildest dreams did we think this. We were thinking Pontefract, Redcar, that type of thing.

"The party has started already. It’s unreal Karl had the first three. I wouldn’t have minded being on that!”

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