By Tom Frary
After his eclipse in the G1 July Cup, it is fair to say that Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) has something to prove and he will have to with the opposition strong in Haydock's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup on Saturday. Successful against lesser lights on easy ground in the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes over this course and distance in May, the homebred thrived over Ascot's stiff six furlongs when capturing the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot before finding the Newmarket feature too sharp.
Forced into consecutive sub-11-second splits after the opening furlong, the long-striding colt paid for that initial hard effort which he had been spared on his previous two starts due to a mixture of ground and uphill terrain. His most impressive effort on the clock came in his Newcastle novice over a mile in March, where he was allowed to build from a steady tempo to an extremely high one in the closing stages and it may be that six furlongs still isn't his game.
Recent rain turning the ground to good-to-soft will aid his cause and trainer Kevin Ryan remains convinced that he has the pace for this flat track while keeping one eye on a return to further. “He will stay further than six furlongs, but he showed a lot of speed in the Guineas and I just felt this year while he is starting to strengthen and has that speed, why not try him sprinting,” he said.
“When he ran at Haydock in the Sandy Lane I was worried it might be a bit soft for him, but he handled it really well and then won on opposite ground at Royal Ascot which he handled just the same. He might be quite a unique sprinter, in that he can handle fast ground and softer conditions too,” he added. “The July Cup at Newmarket was a funny one really and I felt he just wasn't striding out as well as he can do coming down the hill. The ground had dried out that day and was just a bit loose on top, which some horses just can't get a handle on. Once he hit the rising ground, he did start to stay on but in those top-class sprints you just can't afford to lose ground. He is now approaching four and is getting stronger and gaining more muscle as the year goes on.”
If Inisherin falters again, Karl Burke looks the one most likely to profit with the same owner's Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) staying injury-free to finally meet his key rival and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and July Cup runner-up Swingalong (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) also engaged. Elite Status showed when winning Newbury's G3 Hackwood Stakes on good-to-firm ground that he is as versatile as he is classy, having conquered Deauville's soft going when taking the G3 Prix de Cabourg last term.
Unlike Inisherin, Elite Status has proven that he can travel at high speed in the first half of a sprint and finish off strongly and at this stage appears the most typecast sprinter of the two 3-year-olds. Swingalong's ability to maintain a high cadence is unquestionable, having run considerably faster than Inisherin has in his career so far when fourth in this 12 months ago on good ground.
Burke is hopeful he has two primed sprinters for the challenge. “The issue with Elite Status knocking his joint seems very much behind him and since Ascot he's been very good,” he explained. “He obviously put up a big performance at Newbury last time and he's training very well, so we are very hopeful. Swingalong has proven herself in Group 1 company once again this year and deserves to win one.”
Another 3-year-old is Amo Racing's G1 Phoenix Stakes winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who beat the subsequent G3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes scorer Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) in Naas's G3 Lacken Stakes in May. Trainer Adrian Murray said of the former, “Over the winter we were thinking of going to the Guineas with him, but then we worked him and thought we would stick to five or six furlongs because he has a lot of class and a lot of speed. We are hoping he will be bang there and if he trains on like we think he has he will hopefully be involved, fingers crossed.”
Charyn And Notable Speech Clash On In The Moulin…
Seven milers will go to post for Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, with Nurlan Bizakov's G1 Queen Anne Stakes and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) set to lock horns with Godolphin's G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Godolphin also have the Andre Fabre-trained multiple group winner Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}), whose forward-going tendency will complement Charlie Appleby's hold-up merchant, while Ballydoyle's G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner and G1 St James's Palace Stakes runner-up Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids for redemption having been a disappointing fourth as favourite for the Sussex.
Nurlan Bizakov is also represented by the Christopher Head-trained dual Group 3 scorer Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), Francois Rohaut saddles Patrick Sabban's progressive 5-year-old Caramelito (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), with the Wertheimers' 2023 G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) completing the line-up. Soft ground is almost a certainty after heavy rain hit the Paris track on Thursday.
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