Burke's Sumos shrugs aside top-weight burden in Veterans

There was a most commendable performance on the part of top-weight Sumos Novios to take the Arctic Tack Stud Veterans Handicap Chase at Wexford.

Much didn't go right for Robbie Power over at Cheltenham, but as has happened before he got a good tune out of the victor here, a big son of Flemensfirth.

Liam Burke's Sumos Novios (3/1 joint favourite) had Undressed to chiefly concern him over the final couple of fences. In the end he upstaged Michael Hourigan's charge by three parts of a length.

"I thought I'd never get to talk to yee (the press) again," quipped Burke in the aftermath.

He then explained: "He is 17.3hh and this is probably the last place you'd bring him, that was the worry I had. Robbie was always confident, I wasn't. Robbie said he was sluggish jumping early on, but he warmed up to it.

"It's hard to place him. He is rated 144 and he just isn't good enough for the graded races.

"That's his trip today, he just doesn't see it out over three miles, I don't know why.

"I'll probably run him now in the Imperial Call Chase at Cork.

"I could travel to England with him, but I don't think he'd travel well. He is the type of horse who mightn't eat or drink after travelling.

"I know he is a ten-year-old but he doesn't have that much racing done. He just cut out on the heavy ground at Gowran, and he is looking better in himself the last week.

"If he didn't win today I was going to go back hunter chasing with him."

(DM & EM)