UPS and downs, highs and lows, peaks and troughs - all familiar clichés used to describe the unpredictable events of horse racing, and specifically the career of a National Hunt jockey.

Winning at the highest level and riding a treble on a card are often juxtaposed by falling at the last when five lengths clear, or a bad injury as a result of a crashing fall.

Roll all those scenarios up and package them and you have the 27-year-old jockey - Jonathan Burke. He’s been a professional jockey for nearly nine years, and it’s fair to say a lot has happened in that time.

In a philosophical look back at events, Burke sums it up bluntly; “2015 was pretty much the best year of my life; then 2016 was a disaster. This game can do it to you; there was a period where I thought I may never make it back, and then time moves on and before you know it you are riding your first Cheltenham Festival winner...who’d be a jockey eh?!”

Of course, it was the Harry Fry-trained Love Envoi who provided the Corkonian with a moment he will never forget, as the mare powered up the Cheltenham hill to victory in the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.

“That was something else!” he says with the emotion of the moment still as fresh as paint and very much bubbling away inside him.

Best moment

“She travelled so well for me and then, when we hit the rising ground, she found plenty. Without a doubt that was the best moment I have ever had in a saddle.”

Love Envoi has blossomed this season, and Burke is looking forward to seeing if the seven-year-old can land her first Grade 1 in the Mares’ Hurdle in March.

“She’s improving all the time, and I love her attitude. She handles soft ground better than most but I’m not convinced she needs it. The ground wasn’t all that bad when she won at the Festival last year, so I think she has more gears than people realise.

“If we got spring ground that wouldn’t necessarily worry me. Fingers crossed she gets there in top form. I’m excited.” 

Big time

Everything was very exciting back in 2014, as within a few months after turning professional, the 18-year-old Burke broke through into the big time, becoming retained owner to Ann and Alan Potts at the end of that year.

Then things really kicked on into 2015 - a year in which he could do little wrong.

“It was all a whirlwind at that time. I had a lot of support, especially from Jim Dreaper and his family and of course Henry de Bromhead. I remember Henry ringing me telling me that Ann and Alan would like me to be their retained rider. I was in shock, to be honest.”

Things moved seamlessly from big winner to big winner with Burke on board the likes of Sizing Europe, Sizing Granite and Galway Plate victor Shanahan’s Turn, and of course Sizing John, who provided Burke with his first Grade 1 success.

Sizing John then went on to finish third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival, Burke’s first ride at the fabled meeting.

Tough times

“It’s funny, as someone asked me at the time how do I deal with things when they don’t go to plan? I remember saying I didn’t know how to really deal with the tough times - as there hadn’t been any.

“I recall going down to post for the 2015 Supreme, feeling incredibly content with the way things were going, I was so excited for my first ride at the meeting and how well things were going in general.” 

Fast forward to the start of 2016 though and those aforementioned tough times had well and truly arrived. Apart from making it to the track for an unsuccessful 2016 Cheltenham Festival, in which Burke was patched-up and full of aches and pains, it was 18 months of pure horror which Burke still looks back upon as a dark cloud that still hasn’t quite moved out of his rear-view mirror.

“Nothing went right at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival, and if I told you that was pretty much the highlight of the year, that would tell you how bad the year was.”

Burke goes on to elaborate. “All jockeys get injuries, that is part of the game, but from the start of 2016 through to the summer of 2017 it felt like I was a magnet to the hospital. I damaged my T6 vertebrae, injured my neck, broke my leg, and ripped all my shoulder ligaments into bits. The shoulder injury happened just as I thought I was getting back to a clean bill of health.”

Dark place

Naturally the injuries took their toll, not only physically but mentally, as Burke reveals with searing honesty.

“I was in a dark place. Looking back at it, I was probably very young and a bit naïve and didn’t know how to cope with everything that fell apart around me. I had gone from riding on a crest of a wave, to not being able to get out of bed for about a year.

“It was hard to deal with and it crossed my mind that perhaps I might just have to pack it all in. My relationship with Alan (Potts) became very strained and, being honest, I felt at the time I was unfairly taking the hit for everything, and eventually I lost the job as his retained rider.

“I remember sitting on the sofa a few months later, pumped full of painkillers watching the 2017 Cheltenham Festival. Sizing John storms up the hill to win the Gold Cup and funnily enough that was pretty much the lowest point.

“Naturally I was happy for all connected with the horse and the horse himself, but that pretty much just rubbed it all in - it was like life was biting back at me, saying “gotcha”.

Fresh hope

Time moves on though, and water passes under the bridge bringing fresh hope and renewed optimism.

Burke has forged new connections and relationships after his move to England six years ago, and harbours hopes of adding more Cheltenham Festival glory. “When I was injured I got a text from Dave Roberts, my agent at the time, saying “would you be interested in a move to England?”

Roberts went on to reveal that Charlie Longsdon was looking for a stable jockey.

“I flew over, met Charlie, and we hit it off from day one. Although I am not his stable jockey anymore, I will always be grateful for what he did for me, and the confidence he showed in me, and he still supplies me with rides to this day. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now.

“Also, I was struggling to find suitable accommodation when I moved over, and Will Kennedy and his girlfriend Rachel offered me a place to stay for a few weeks - I ended up staying four years!

Generosity

“I want to put it on record how much I appreciate their generosity; I was homesick and they made things very comfortable for me - they were like family.”

New pastures have led to Burke forging a close bond with the likes of Tom George, Harry Fry, Oliver Sherwood and Jamie Snowden - the latter who supplied him with this season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Ga Law.

In regards to Oliver Sherwood, Burke can’t hide his affection for the Upper Lambourn handler, who trains exciting mare Queens Gamble.

“I would love Queens Gamble to win the Champion Bumper. Oliver has been through a lot of tough times recently, and this mare has a lot of class - it would mean the world to him if she could win at the Festival.”

Burke makes an interesting comparison between two of his prized mounts. “Often I get asked about comparing Love Envoi and Queens Gamble. They are two special mares, but totally different.

“Love Envoi is as tough as teak - she would run through a brick wall for you and won’t ever know when to throw in the towel. Queens Gamble on the other hand, well, she’s a poser and a bit of a show-off. She knows she is good and struts around the yard like she is in charge.

“She has a proper turn of foot to go with it - she’s more of a push-button type. Personality-wise, it’s a little bit like Kauto Star versus Denman.”

Renaissance

Burke could end up with a very nice book of rides at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and is determined to make the most of his riding-renaissance.

“As I’ve said, I’ve had magic days and some of the worst days you could imagine and I’m not even 28 yet - some of the lads in the weighing room have been doing this 15 years more than me. Therefore, I don’t want to get carried away because bad luck could be just around the corner.

“I just want to stay healthy and I am enjoying everything right now; I am very thankful to everyone who has supported me on my journey from the beginning and helped me get back up on my feet.

“Win, lose or draw, my father (Liam) has always been there for me so I would like to pay back his love and support in some shape or form.”

As for any future plans beyond the years in the saddle: “Well, hopefully that’s a long time away, but I do like doing race commentaries - I’ve done a few, especially at the point-to-points, and I am also getting into my cooking.

“I was joking the other day to Gavin Sheehan that I would teach him how to cook. Gavin can just about butter toast, but I’ve perfected this sea bass recipe in the air-fryer. Who knows, I might end up on MasterChef or something!”

With 63 winners last season he recorded his best ever tally, and has every chance of surpassing that figure this time around.

For now he’s cooking up a fresh storm in a good way - and it’s one that is on a racecourse, not just in his kitchen.

This article is taken from The Irish Field Cheltenham Magazine 2023. CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY