Got To Love A Grey leads home Marygate one-two for Karl Burke

Karl Burke will target Royal Ascot with both Got To Love A Grey and Dorothy Lawrence after the stablemates finished first and second in the Clipper EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes at York.

The Middleham Park Racing-owned Got To Love A Grey was a visually impressive six-length winner when a warm order for her racecourse debut at Nottingham last month and was sent off at 5-2 to follow up in Listed company on the Knavesmire under Sam James.

Dorothy Lawrence, second to reopposing 13-8 favourite Persian Dreamer at Newmarket last month, was a much bigger price at 9-1 but raised her game to run an excellent race in defeat.

Got To Love A Grey raced on the speed from the start over the straight five furlongs and while Dorothy Lawrence moved into her slipstream looking a huge threat, the leader kept finding for pressure and was half a length to the good passing the post.

Gaiden came from further back to finish third, with Persian Dreamer only fourth.

Burke said: “It’s been a frustrating week, we’ve had about five seconds and picked up nearly £100,000 I think in two days, all without having a winner. To get the winner was needed.

“I thought the second filly would be the winner, she’s very quick and she travelled very strong there and didn’t quite see it out as well as the winner. Take nothing away from the winner though, she’s so honest and such a lovely filly.

“Sam said she was first in the stalls and they were all messing about for ages. She just jumped out and away she goes.”

When asked about plans, the trainer added: “The Queen Mary or the Albany (for the winner), she’s shown us on a fast track that she’s quick enough and you need to stay well at Ascot so it probably makes sense to go for the Queen Mary.

“I’d be quite happy to send her (Dorothy Lawrence) there as well, Ryan (Moore) thought we should give her a chance so we’ll see.

“I think that’s our eighth or ninth two-year-old winner so we’ve got off to a great start and there’s some lovely Dubawis and Frankels and Galileos to come later on, there’s a nice team.”

The winning rider said: “I’m just pleased to be on her. I won on her at Nottingham, but the connections didn’t have to leave me on her.

“I thought the ground might be on the quick side as she seemed to like the soft at Nottingham, but she’s very versatile.

“I think she’ll get six furlongs. The speed I was able to travel at up in class, I wouldn’t be averse to going up in trip, but Karl knows more than I do. She wasn’t stopping at the line.”