Laurens and Karl Burke - Revisited

 Laurens and Karl Burke - Revisited

Laurens was an unbelievably tough, consistent horse on the track. But how was she to train on a day-to-day basis?
One of Lauren’s biggest attributes was that she was very sound, I can’t remember her taking a lame step. Sound horses make a trainers life easier as you can push them that little bit harder. She could be a diva and her stable was her domain, she certainly didn’t like me very much!


What made her different to other other horses you've trained, and what specifically made her so good?
Her strength was her high cruising speed, and a huge stride. She won many of her races in the mid section of a race as horses could not lay up with her. She also had an incredible will to win when she got in a battle.


She's won 6 G1's, in Ireland, France and England, how hard is it for a horse to continually show their class and win 6 G1's over 3 seasons?
I think the fact that out of the thousands of thoroughbreds that are born each year that very few get to achieve the feat of multiple G1s across three years, shows how hard it is. The attributes listed above soundness, toughness and of course ability, contribute to that feat.


Which race is your highlight?
The French Oaks at Chantilly has to be the highlight, as it was our first classic, she also was unbelievably tough to win over a trip that in hindsight was probably way above her optimum. Winning the Matron at Leopardstown on Champions weekend was a close second!


Where would she rank with other horses you've trained, is she the best?
We have been lucky to train several very good horses, but Laurens with her number of G1 wins and her Classic success sets her apart.

Laurens was a rare breed of racehorse, gutsy, determined and just so good! Thanks to Karl for taking the time out to answer some questions about Laurens. 

We all love her!

More editions of Revisited to come