'I love Leopardstown!' - visiting trainer bags the Ballycorus Rising powerhouse Wathnan Racing landed Leopardstown’s featured Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes today with Native Warrior (6/4f), who continued north Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke’s good record at the Dublin course. Ridden by the owners’ retained rider James Doyle, Native Warrior raced in mid-field and having improved to challenge in the final furlong, edged ahead close home to score by three-parts of a length from another UK-based runner Audience . Burke, who won both the 2018 and ‘25 renewals of the course’s Matron Stakes with Laurens and Fallen Angel, today stated “I love Leopardstown! “I couldn't understand why he ran so badly at Naas the last day but he came back with a dirty scope afterwards. To be honest, that's one of the reasons why I wanted to come over to see for myself how he was, and I thought he looked great saddling him up. “He loves this soft ground and in these conditions, he is a proper Group 3 type of horse. Seven furlongs is a perfect trip but he stays a mile. We'll just keep campaigning him away wherever the heavy ground comes." Quotes from John O’Riordan
