'He's high class - I'll be disappointed if he's not a Commonwealth Cup horse'

Karl Burke is targeting Group 1 prizes for stable stars El Caballo and Last Crusader and will be disappointed if the former is not a leading player for the Commonwealth Cup following this Saturday's outing at Haydock.

El Caballo won all five of his starts since a debut defeat and posted a career-best effort at Newcastle last time when winning the Coral 3-Year-Old All-Weather Championships Conditions Stakes, defeating subsequent Newbury scorer Tiber Flow.

The son of Havana Gold will now head to Haydock for the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes (3.10) and his run will help the trainer map out the remainder of the colt's three-year-old campaign.

Sandy Lane Stakes (Saturday 3.10) full card and betting

"I thought it was a great run at Newcastle," said Burke. "He ran with the choke out early, so did very well to finish the race off like he did.

"I'm looking forward to seeing him run at Haydock, he's a high-class horse and we'll find out just how good he is on Saturday. This race will tell us whether he's a Commonwealth or Jersey horse, but I'll be disappointed if we're not going for the Commonwealth."

Burke also saddles three for the Temple Stakes (3.45) and Last Crusader, an impressive winner at York earlier this month, is set to spearhead the charge.

"He's come out of York well, the going will dictate with Saturday as he won't run on soft ground," said Burke. "We always liked him as a two-year-old and we ran him in good races like the Gimcrack.

"What has surprised me is that he retains his ability over five furlongs. I thought we'd possibly be going up a furlong, but as he's got stronger and filled his frame, he's just quicker. Hindsight from Newmarket told us to drop him back to five, the end result was last week."

Last Crusader and Daniel Tudhope storm to Listed victory at York last weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

Burke is keen to keep Last Crusader at the minimum trip for the time being, potentially bypassing Royal Ascot in favour of another lofty engagement later in the campaign.

"He has an entry in a French Group 2 in early June, which he may still go to even if he runs on Saturday. He'll then have a short break and something like the Nunthorpe would be on the radar."

White Lavender, formerly trained by Joseph Murphy in Ireland, made a winning debut for Burke at Bath in April and is another who is impressing at home ahead of the Group 2 contest.

"She's in great form and has taken a step forward," Burke said. "She worked well this morning and we're very happy with her. She will definitely go unless the ground is the quicker side of good, which looks unlikely."

Burke posted a career-best total of 100 winners in 2021 and sits on 36 wins for the current season after a strong start.

He added: "The whole winter has gone really well and that's followed on into the spring, hopefully we can keep that rolling into the summer.

"We've got some really nice youngsters still to run and the two-year-olds have set off really well, we've got four or five that could be anything."

Sandy Lane Stakes (3.10 Haydock, Saturday)

Sky Bet: 3 Go Bears Go, 7-2 Noble Truth, 9-2 Lusail, 6 El Caballo, 7 Flaming Rib, 8 Caturra, 9 Flotus 10 Ever Given, Beauty Inspire, 11 bar

Read more:

Native Trail the standout as 11 remain in Irish 2,000 Guineas after forfeits

'He was sensational in a key workout - I was absolutely buzzing when we left'

Nunthorpe heroine Winter Power 'in great form' ahead of Haydock return

Don't miss the Racing Post Royal Ascot Guide 2022. Only £14.99, the 192-page guide is packed with tips and information for the five-day festival of top-class Flat racing, including profiles of the leading horses and the lowdown on the top trainers and jockeys. Order your copy here or call 01933 304858.