Burke outlines plans for Kauto and Major Liam Burke has his string in good form at present, and among the Cork trainer's recent winners is Kauto Star's half-brother Kauto Relko, who carries the well-known red and white silks of Graham Roach. The French-bred five-year-old showed the benefit of an initial outing at Gowran Park last month by scoring with some style at Burke's local track in Mallow on Sunday. Burke said: "I think Graham Roach bought him as a yearling before Kauto Star came through or anything. Last year he was very weak and he's a big narrow horse. It's only in the last six weeks he has strengthened up." "He's backward and it will be quiet for the moment. He won't be going over fences yet or anything." The gelding's dam Kauto Relka, died earlier in the year, but his full-brother Kauto Stone is rising quickly through the ranks in France. Burke has more immediate plans for promising novice chaser Major Finnegan who is set to return to the track early in the New Year. The seven-year-old son of Lord Americo was brought back from a long spell on the sidelines to beat Jered over fences at Punchestown in October. He went back to the same course a fortnight later to finish six lengths second to Sizing Europe but has not been seen since. "He just got a little infection after his last run," said Burke. "He's entered at Leopardstown over Christmas (the Inforthenight.ie Novice Chase) but is unlikely to run. I'd say he might be ready for a race at Naas on January 3. But I'm not going to rush him, and there will be a decent race in him."
