Elite Status (GB)

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) heads a field of 16 sprinters confirmed for Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock. Rested since his fifth as favourite for the G1 July Cup, the Kevin Ryan-trained homebred returns to the scene of his success in the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes in May with regular rider Tom Eaves retaining the ride. "Inisherin is in great form," his trainer said this week. "We've had an uninterrupted preparation and all his work has gone to plan when we...

The lack of top-class talent in this season's sprint division was laid bare by Timeform on Tuesday as the organisation revealed that the class of 2024 currently rank well below the 10 highest-rated sprinters to have raced in Europe since 2015. Australian-trained sprinter Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) achieved a rating of 122 when winning the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, a figure that was matched this month by Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) when he gained his first Group 1 success in the July Cup at Newmarket,...

Elite Status (GB) is an intended runner in Saturday's Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, trainer Karl Burke confirmed on Monday as his classy three-year-old featured among 13 entries for the six-furlong contest. A Group 3 winner as a juvenile, Elite Status has been on the sidelines since making the perfect start to his three-year-old campaign with victory in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at the Berkshire track, with a persisent issue with a joint forcing him to miss the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. However, Burke reports the son of Havana...

Karl Burke is targeting an autumn campaign with Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) after injury ruled the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine out of an intended appearance in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. "She's got a small bit of bone bruising, but it's nothing serious," Burke summed up. "We'll leave her alone now and hopefully she'll be ready for September and an autumn campaign. "She'll be back in steady work in the next week or so, but we won't rush her back. We'll prepare...

Royal Ascot winners Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) and English Oak (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) both feature prominently in the betting for the G1 My Pension Expert July Cup after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. A total of 23 horses remain in contention for the first big clash of the generations at the six-furlong trip, which will be run at Newmarket on Saturday, July 13 and offers total prize-money of £600,000. Inisherin ran out a dominant winner of the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, having been sent off a...

If Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes was a blockbuster, Friday's G1 Coronation Stakes offers just as much intrigue with the 1,000 Guineas winner Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) joined by the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and one who just might have won either had the fates not intervened. Following her scintillating display in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) looked the one to beat in the Newmarket Classic but a training setback meant that she missed the...

Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features the full-brother to Elite Status and the son of dual Group 1 heroine Silasol. 18.45 Lingfield, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 6f (AWT) SOLDIER'S HEART (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), a full-brother to the G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Elite Status (GB) who was the joint-highest-priced colt at Tattersalls...

One of only two French-trained juveniles in Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville, Infinity Nine Horses' TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) will need to draw on a significant amount of her abundant talent to maintain her sequence in one of the best renewals of the six-furlong feature in recent years. Out on her own at the end of Chantilly's G3 Prix du Bois and G2 Prix Robert Papin, the Christopher Head trainee now has to stand up to a collective of the best sprinting colts from Britain and Ireland...

Karl Burke annexed the 2018 edition of Deauville's G3 Prix de Cabourg with Comedy (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and the Spigot Lodge conditioner doubled his tally in the six-furlong contest after last month's G2 Norfolk S. third Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) pounced for a decisive success in this year's renewal. The 6-4 joint-favourite, who had earlier powered to a runaway success in Sandown's Listed National S., was positioned behind the leader in second after a level break. Looming large on the bridle passing the quarter-mile marker, he was...

Deauville's month-long racing fest is back upon us on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Rothschild the key event on a talent-packed card. British and Irish interests always excel at this meeting, so the first port of call must be the reinvented miler Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who was able to transfer the scintillating speed she had shown over middle distances of late to this trip in Royal Ascot's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. The pride and joy of Tom Clover's stable may have found an ideal opportunity to garner...

All the talk before Thursday's G2 Norfolk S. centred around American Rascal (Curlin) and Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), but it was the 150-1 shot Valiant Force (Malibu Moon--Vigui's Heart, by Quality Road) who held sway to provide Amo Racing with a breakthrough first Royal Ascot winner. Runner-up to His Majesty (Ire) (No Nay Never) on debut in the Listed First Flier S., the Adrian Murray-trained $100,000 Keeneland September yearling was discounted by the betting public due to his latest fifth despite having excuses in the G3 Marble Hill...