Royal Rhyme

The key to understanding Royal Rhyme is the ground beneath his hooves. On wet or muddy ground, he has won 4 of his 7 races — that's 57%, better than 1 in every 2. That is a remarkable conversion rate at any level, let alone when you consider those wins include a Class 1 at Ayr in September 2023 and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May 2024, both among the best races in Britain. Jockey Clifford Lee, who has ridden him in 16 of his 17 races and been there for all five wins, described after the Ayr victory how Royal Rhyme simply picks up and keeps going when he gets that soft, slightly tacky surface under him. It is not a coincidence — it is a superpower.

Burke is candid about the horse's recent absence from the winner's enclosure. He hasn't won in his last 6 races, and his most recent form figures — 5-6-5-3-7-6 — tell the story of a horse who has been running competitively without quite getting there. Burke revealed a small physical setback after his last win forced them to ease off, but he's now satisfied the horse is moving well again. The trainer's target is telling: he'd like Royal Rhyme to start in the Brigadier Gerard, the very race he won two years ago, before potentially heading to Ireland in the autumn when conditions are likely to turn soft again. The Champion Stakes — one of the most prestigious races of the British flat season — is mentioned as a genuine aim. Burke puts it plainly: he believes Royal Rhyme can win a Group 1 on very soft ground.

Karl Burke's yard has sent out 140 winners this season alone, so this is not a trainer prone to wishful thinking. When someone operating at that level says a horse can win at the top of the sport, it is worth paying attention. Royal Rhyme just needs the rain to come.