Marshman

The winter of 2024-25 was his best stretch yet. He won a Class 2 at Newcastle in January and followed it up with a Class 1 victory at Lingfield Park on 2nd February — two big-race wins within three weeks of each other. Burke has been open about why: surgery last summer, both a gelding operation and a procedure to help him breathe more freely, has made a real difference. In his own words after Lingfield, Burke felt Marshman could finally breathe properly during his races, and the improvement has been obvious.

The partnership with jockey Clifford Lee is worth noting. In 13 races together, Lee has ridden Marshman to all 4 of his career wins — a win rate of 31%, or just under 1 in 3. That is a remarkable figure for a horse operating almost exclusively at the top level, and it suggests a genuine working relationship between horse and rider. Marshman's best results also come on normal ground — 2 wins from 7 races in standard conditions — which fits with his all-weather form, where the surface stays consistent regardless of the weather.

His last six races, however, tell a more complicated story: his most recent result was a ninth, and he has not won since that Lingfield success fifteen months ago. His run at Doncaster was the low point — Burke acknowledged he was wound up in the stalls and never settled, and was clear it was not a true reflection of what the horse can do. That honesty matters, because Burke's yard has sent out 140 winners this season alone, which is an operation that knows exactly what it is looking at.

The plan now is All-Weather Finals Day at Newcastle, carrying top weight. Burke's view is straightforward: if Marshman can keep his composure at the start, he will be competitive. For a horse that has already beaten some very good rivals this winter, that seems a reasonable thing to believe.