Burke's quality gives smart outfit a renewed vigour

Charlie Longsdon showed a handsome level stakes profit in five of his first six seasons but nowadays punters need to be rather more discerning in order to come out in front.

The autumn and the spring tend to be more profitable than mid-winter, and chasers show a better return than hurdlers, but there are good winners nevertheless in winter, and plenty of them are over hurdles.

There is a renewed emphasis on new blood this term, and while the stable retains its most popular old-timers there has been a bit of a clear-out and there are plenty of unexposed and often unraced youngsters.