Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid will be well represented in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, with both Inisherin and Elite Status among the 16 declared runners for Saturday’s race.
Inisherin, trained by Kevin Ryan, is returning to Haydock, where he previously won the Sandy Lane Stakes earlier in the season, while Elite Status aims to add to his two victories at Newbury this year. Elite Status is one of three horses for Karl Burke, alongside recent Deauville winner Spycatcher and last year’s fourth-place finisher Swingalong.
Clive Cox’s Jasour, who missed a Goodwood race due to a setback, will also compete. Richard Hannon’s Shouldvebeenaring, last year’s runner-up, will have another chance to improve on that performance for Middleham Park Racing.
William Haggas will be represented by Chipchase Stakes winner Montassib and Wokingham Stakes champion Unequal Love. Montassib, who recently beat Kinross at Newcastle, and Lake Forest, another notable absentee, are expected to target the Park Stakes at Doncaster next week.
Mick Appleby’s Annaf will make his seasonal debut, while Tim Easterby’s Art Power is seeking his first win of the year. The British Champions Sprint Stakes winner from last October is yet to race on his preferred soft ground this season. Alastair Donald, racing manager for King Power Racing, remains hopeful for Art Power’s chances despite the lack of rain in the north compared to the south.
"Unfortunately, the north isn’t getting the rain that the south is, but it should still be fine for him to run," said Donald. "Art Power often has a poor price, but he consistently performs well. He hasn’t yet had his ideal ground this year, so we hope he will get it at some point, possibly at Ascot later in the year. Any rain would be beneficial, but he should run well even if conditions remain as they are."
Irish challengers include Adrian Murray’s Group One winner Bucanero Fuerte, Jessica Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys, and Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker. They join a competitive field that also features Charlie Fellowes’ Vadream, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue, and Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, which was supplemented for £20,000 on Monday.