William Burke
Article by Alan Trout
William Burke rode 19 winners during a career interrupted by the First World War. His first win came when Limitation, owned and trained by amateur jockey George Sanday, won the Uttoxeter Selling Handicap Chase by two lengths at that Staffordshire venue on October 17, 1912. Emanating from the same stable, Moorgate was an even more convincing winner of the Maiden Hurdle at Haydock Park on December 16, scoring by six lengths.
Despite this promising start, William did not win another race until 1915, when he had two victories in what was by then a drastically reduced programme during to the outbreak of war.
Hostilities finally having ended, he again rode two winners in 1920 – a double at Cartmel’s traditional Whit Monday fixture – but in 1921 appeared to have achieved a breakthrough with a score of nine, including a double at Ludlow and three wins each on the chasers My Royal and Wave For’ard, trained by Joseph Dodd.
However, 1922 brought only a solitary victory, and he had no success when tackling the Liverpool fences for the only time in his career when he rode Sherston in the Stanley Chase on March 22, 1923. The eight-year-old fell that day but did make some amends by providing William with his final three wins, the last of which was the Barton Court Chase at Colwall Park on April 23, 1923.
His final ride was when trailing home last of five finishers on Charmed Fuse in the Braintree Novices’ Chase at Chelmsford on February 10, 1926.
William Burke’s wins were, in chronological order:
1. Limitation, Uttoxeter, October 17, 1912
2. Moorgate, Haydock Park, December 16, 1912
3. The Black Watch, Hooton Park, March 12, 1915
4. The Black Watch, Clifton Park, April 3, 1915
5. Lochar, Cartmel, May 24, 1920
6. Jimmu, Cartmel, May 24, 1920
7. Woden, Ludlow, February 16, 1921
8. My Royal, Tarporley, March 30, 1921
9. My Royal, Bangor-on-Dee, April 1, 1921
10. Wave For’ard, Wenlock Hunt, May 6, 1921
11. My Royal, Uttoxeter, May 10, 1921
12. Wave For’ard, Ludlow, May 13, 1921
13. Glen Royal II, Ludlow, Mat 14, 1921
14. Wave For’ard, Ludlow, May 14, 1921
15. Jimmu, Wolverhampton, September 27, 1921
16. Lough Bee, Manchester, February 1, 1922
17. Sherston, Manchester, April 3, 1923
18. Sherston, Bogside, April 12, 1923
19. Sherston, Colwall Park, April 23, 1923
William Burke's first winner was Limitation at Uttoxeter, October 17, 1912
William's 1920 Cartmel double: Lochar & Jimmu
William's 1921 Ludlow double:
Glen Royal ll & Wave For'ard
