Trained by K R Burke at Coverham in North Yorkshire, Flight Plan belongs to one of the most productive yards in the country right now. Burke's team has sent out 140 winners this season alone, which is the sort of output that puts a trainer firmly in the top tier of the sport. When a yard is firing at that level, horses in their care tend to be placed with real precision — and Flight Plan is no exception. His Class 2 win at Thirsk on 3 May 2025 was exactly the kind of targeted, conditions-race assignment that suits a horse of his profile: not the very biggest stage, but a genuinely competitive, high-quality race where he was sent off with a real chance.
That Thirsk win felt like a vindication. Burke had spoken in April about a difficult previous season, and was candid that Flight Plan had undergone surgery — specifically, the removal of one testicle — and was moving noticeably better as a result. The trainer described him as working like his old self again, and sure enough, he went to Thirsk and won. On normal ground over seven furlongs to a mile, Flight Plan has won 2 of his 8 races in those conditions — that's 1 in every 4, which is a strong conversion rate for a horse at this level.
His most regular partner is jockey Daniel Tudhope, who has ridden him in 12 of his 27 races and won twice together — roughly 1 in every 6 rides, a 17% win rate that reflects a genuine working relationship. Tudhope is one of the better northern jockeys around, and the Burke-Tudhope combination on Flight Plan in the right conditions is worth paying attention to.
The career total of 3 wins from 27 races — winning roughly 1 in every 9 — tells you this is a horse who operates at a level where victories are hard to come by. But his recent form figures make encouraging reading for a horse who raced just yesterday and is clearly in active training. Whether Burke's longer-term target of a race like the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot materialises will depend on form and ground, but Flight Plan is clearly heading into the summer with momentum.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thirsk Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 2 May | 33.3% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 other | 3 Apr | 33.3% |
| meydan | 3 | 3 other | 30 Jan | 0% |
| York Galloping |
3 | 1 third, 2 other | 12 Jul | 0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 14 Sep | 50% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 26 Sep | 0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 18 Jun | 0% |
| Pontefract Undulating |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 28 Jul | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 1 Dec | 0% |
| Epsom Downs Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 6 Jun | 0% |
| Leicester Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 11 Oct | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 8 Jun | 0% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 27 Feb | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 May | 0% |