Remarkable Sir Busker back firing on all cylinders

Kennet Valley stalwart suffered a serious injury in Dubai last year.

Kennet Valley Syndicates are back dreaming big with valiant veteran Sir Busker after he returned to winning ways at York during the Ebor Festival.

The eight-year-old had last tasted victory back in July 2022 and suffered a serious setback out in Dubai last year.

However, after showing encouraging signs during an all-weather campaign earlier this year, he returned from a four-month break to run well at Goodwood and then secured a seventh career success on the Knavesmire.

Kennet Valley racing manager Sam Hoskins beamed: “That was brilliant, it was an emotional day because he nearly lost an eye in Dubai in March 2023 and he was lucky that the surgeons did such a great job to save it.

“But he lost a lot of condition and a lot of muscle, so it was great to get him back and he’d looked brilliant in the spring on the all-weather and then he ran a good race at Goodwood and then that was an amazing win at York.

“He was well handicapped, but he had to do it and he did it very well.

“He’s gone up 5lb in the handicap and the plan is to go for either the Doonside Cup at the Ayr Gold Cup meeting or the Foundation Stakes at Goodwood the following Wednesday.

“The idea then, if we can, is to have a crack at the $1million Bahrain International Trophy out there in mid-November.

“To be honest, we thought the overseas days were gone, but with All-Weather Finals Day now being handicaps, this feels like a one-off race we can try for, it’s not like going out to Dubai for a couple of months or anything.

“He can race there, have a nice break afterwards and then hopefully we’re going to race him on next season.

“He’s only had two races so far this autumn, he’s had a break, so he’s quite a fresh horse and his rating for the York race shows he’s almost back to his very best of two years ago.

Royal Ascot – Day Two
Sir Busker ridden by Oisin Murphy (white cap) wins at Royal Ascot (Megan Ridgwell/PA).

“William Knight is brilliant with his older horses and hopefully there’s a bit more life left in him.

“The Bahrain race was won last year by Spirit Dancer, who is not a dissimilar horse to Sir Busker, so we’re going to have one more foray overseas – if we get in.”

Sir Busker’s biggest victory came in the Group Two York Stakes a couple of years ago, after which he finished third behind Baaeed in the Juddmonte International.

He has also been placed in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and won the Silver Royal Hunt Cup in 2020, with his career earnings standing at just under GBP 650,000.

Hoskins added: “It’s an incredible amount and it’s not always through winning races, he’s had a number of places in big races.

“He’s been the bridesmaid quite a few times behind the likes of Baaeed and those kinds of horses and he’s just such a star.”

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