Karl Burke confident of Laurens success at Newbury – ‘She is a beautiful mover’ | Racing | Sport

Laurens won four Group One races last season during a stellar campaign and has been kept in training as a four-year-old.

She is among 17 five-day declarations for the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes and Burke is “quietly confident” she can resume where she left off.

He revealed: “I would say she is 95 per cent fit.

“She has been to Newcastle for a gallop and has done loads of work here. She is a heavier and bigger filly this season and she will improve for a run.

“She is fantastic specimen of a horse. We have never had a horse who looks so good, moves so well and also has the form in the book.

“She is a beautiful mover and is like a ballerina the way she floats across the ground.

“The mile division lacks a superstar and hopefully she can fill that gap. She is a high-class horse. We think she has improved again.

“She has probably got quicker and are happy to start her at a mile on Saturday and then go for the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. I would be surprised if we go back up to 1m 2f with her.”

Laurens won the Prix Saint-Alary, Prix de Diane, the Matron Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes before a below-par run at Ascot in the QE11.

Her trainer said: “With hindsight, she had had a herpes jab before the QE11 and that may have just knocked the edge off her.”

Owner John Dance revealed he had turned down several huge offers to buy Laurens last year before deciding to keep her to breed from himself after one more season of racing.

He said: “There are a whole load of races this year that only she will ever take us to. We are not going to be too despondent if her first run of the season doesn’t work out in her favour.

“But if it does we will be really excited because if she can win on her reappearance that would be a great sign for the rest of the year.”

The £350,000 Lockinge is the feature race of Newbury's richest raceday on Saturday where prize money is £750,000.