Article by: Graham Green
Published in Racing Post on 11th July 2013
KARL BURKE was celebrating last night as he prepares to take back the reins from his wife Elaine as the named trainer at the couple's Spigot Lodge stables in North Yorkshire.
The Group 1-winning trainer had earlier been given the green light to resume his former role by the BHA's licensing committee.
Burke has been acting as his wife's assistant since the ending in 2010 of the one-year disqualification he received after admitting passing information for reward as part of the race-fixing inquiry that involved former disgraced owner Miles Rodgers and jockeys Darren Williams and Fergal Lynch.
During his ban he raised £20,000 through a charity bicycle ride that took him to all British racecourses, the beneficiaries of which included the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Burke will take over the licence on August 25, the day after the completion of his term of disqualification as a company director, imposed after one of his businesses went into administration as a result of his warning off.
He is planning to add 30 boxes to the yard which already houses a string of around 65 horses, although stable star Libertarian, who his wife saddled to finish runner-up in this year's Derby after previously winning the Dante, has left to be continue his career with Godolphin.
A BHA spokesman said last night: "The licensing committee has approved Mr Burke's application for a combined trainer's licence as an employee of KB Spigot Ltd with effect from August 25, 2013, when his disqualification from being a company director ends.
"The full decision and reasons will follow in due course."
Solicitor Rory Mac Neice, who has assisted Burke with his application which was first subject to a hearing last September when the licensing committee requested more details about the business, said: "Karl is obviously very pleased to be relicensed.
"The training at Spigot Lodge will remain very much a family-run operation and both Karl's wife and daughters remain an integral part of the business.
"Karl agreed a few years ago with the Department of Trade and Industry that he would not act as a director of a company for a period of time.
"That period ends on August 24 this year following which he will be free to act as a director of companies moving forward."
