By Sam Turner -
Trainer Karl Burke insists he retains full faith in Royal Rhyme and believes the talented son of Lope De Vega can score at Group 1 level, granted his ideal conditions.
The Northern handler, fresh from a successful Royal Ascot meeting which brought two juvenile winners courtesy of victories for Leovanni and Shareholder, also paid tribute to the four-year-old’s owner, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, for the decision to run his classy performer at the royal meeting.
Royal Rhyme acquitted himself with great credit when fifth in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, four lengths behind winner Auguste Rodin, this despite unsuitably quick ground.
Career figures of 111151 when soft appears in the going description highlight Royal Rhyme’s clear preference for some give in the ground and, although his colt’s only defeat under such circumstances came in the Qipco Champion Stakes last autumn at Ascot, Burke believes he is a better horse this time round.
"It was a brave shout by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid to let him take his chance and he acquitted himself really well," he said.
"Put us on soft ground against the same horses and I know which one I'd be backing.
"He's very good on that and he's improved and is getting stronger. The Champion Stakes will definitely be on the agenda and we'll work back from there - he was fifth last year but he's a better horse this year.”
Burke also issued a status update on Elite Status who was forced to miss the G1 Commonwealth Cup because of a recurring issue.
"Elite Status has this habit of knocking himself and couldn't run in the Commonwealth Cup,” he added.
“It's just a niggly injury, like a bad nail on your foot that you always seem to catch. We'll have to come up with a plan as to how we get round it but I'm sure we will."
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