Trainer Karl Burke, along with owners Wathnan Racing, celebrated their second two-year-old winner in as many days at Royal Ascot when Shareholder triumphed in the Norfolk Stakes. Shareholder, ridden by jockey James Doyle, followed in the footsteps of Leovanni, who had won the Queen Mary Stakes the day before.
Shareholder, purchased for €460,000, showed considerable improvement since his debut at Beverley just 12 days prior. Despite some late drifting, he crossed the finish line a length ahead of Tropical Storm. Arizona Blaze came in third, with favourite Whistlejacket finishing in fourth place.
Doyle praised Burke for his excellent training of the horses and thanked the owners for their support of British racing. Burke, on the other hand, believes Shareholder has even more potential and may consider stepping him up to longer distances in the future.
Other contenders such as Tropical Storm and Arizona Blaze received positive feedback from their connections, indicating bright future prospects. Whistlejacket's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, identified areas for improvement for the favourite horse in the race.
Overall, the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot proved to be a competitive and exciting event for two-year-old horses, with Shareholder emerging as the victor under the guidance of Burke and Wathnan Racing.