CHARLIE Longsdon believes the appointment of Irish star Jonathan Burke as stable jockey will boost the number of winners from his Chipping Norton yard this season.

Longsdon has adopted a policy of employing the best riders available over the last three years since Noel Fehily fulfilled the role.

But after seeing his tally of 52 winners outweighed by 66 seconds last term, he has decided to once again sign up a retained rider, turning to the 21-year-old from Glengoura in County Cork.

Longsdon commented: “Last season was a frustrating one, with more seconds than winners and most of the time jockeys would come back from riding the horses saying ‘if only I could ride the race again’ convinced they would get a better result from knowing the horse better.

“Therefore, this season I was looking for a little more consistency and have recruited an exciting young jockey in Jonathan Burke.

“This should provide more continuity for both horses and owners and I am very much looking forward to this partnership.”

Burke enjoyed a meteroric rise after turning professional in May 2014, with a regular stream of winners landing him the highly-coveted job as the retained rider to leading owners Ann and Alan Potts just four months later.

He made an impressive start, partnering Sizing Europe to victory in the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park.

Burke also rode Sizing John during his days as a novice over hurdles and fences, enjoying Grade 1 success on this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in December 2014.

He was on board as Sizing Granite won the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree in 2015 and gained his most valuable success in that year’s Galway Plate on Shanahan’s Turn.

But his career has been blighted by injuries in recent times as he fractured vertebrae and his fibula in separate falls in 2016.

Last November he brought his partnership with the Potts’s to an end and returned to the freelance ranks.

Burke, who made his debut for Longsdon on the unplaced Midnight Shot in the Betfred Summer Plate at Market Rasen on Saturday, said: “It is a completely fresh start and one I am really looking forward to.

“His horses are fit and he has a very good team of owners well.”