Karl Burke celebrated from home in Middleham as Lethal Levi led a remarkable 1-2-3 finish for the trainer in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup. Burke had previously trained the first and second in this race back in 1998, but this year, Lethal Levi outshone his stablemates Silky Wilkie and Korker.
The five-year-old has shown consistent form all season, and his recent victory over seven furlongs at Newbury pushed him up 4 pounds in the ratings. Despite being drawn in stall 20—a position often viewed as unfavourable—he started the race at 20-1 under Clifford Lee.
As usual, Lethal Levi adopted front-running tactics, battling for the lead with Silky Wilkie. The two were in contention from early on, but with half a furlong to go, Lethal Levi's stamina kicked in, allowing him to pull away and ultimately cross the line three lengths ahead. Silky Wilkie just managed to hold off stablemate Korker for second place, with Aramis Grey finishing fourth behind the Burke trio. Meanwhile, the heavily backed 11-4 favourite, American Affair, faced traffic issues and finished out of the money.
Burke opted to skip Ayr for Newbury, where Andesite was set to run in the Mill Reef Stakes. However, after Andesite was withdrawn due to heavy ground, Burke watched the Ayr action from his Spigot Lodge base. "I thought we had plenty of staff at Ayr, and I was heading to Newbury with the two-year-old, but when he didn’t run, I stayed home—I probably should have gone the other way," he reflected.
"If everything went according to plan, I felt Lethal was our best chance, as he’s been in great form. Korker had been working well, but his performance depended on how well he broke. We also added a visor to Silky Wilkie for the first time, which clearly worked, and he gets on well with Sam Feilden."
Burke noted that while the handicapper seemed to have Lethal Levi figured out, his impressive win at Newbury and breaking the track record at Ayr suggested he’s ready for a higher level. "I imagine he’ll move out of handicaps, but I’ll need to check the options. That performance looked at least Group Three level, and he deserves a step up."
Reflecting on his past successes, Burke mentioned Daring Destiny, who won the Gold Cup in 1994, marking one of his first major victories as a trainer. "Daring Destiny was significant for us; after winning the Gold Cup, she went on to win a couple of Group races when we didn’t have many horses. She could have easily been a dual winner," he said.
"It’s a fantastic race to win, especially for us in the north, and I’m thrilled to have done it again."