Kevin Ryan has announced that Inisherin, who won the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock with great style, will be added to the Royal Ascot Commonwealth Cup roster.
After making his racecourse debut at Newmarket in September and narrowly losing to Derby contender Bellum Justum as a 50-1 shot, the Shamardal colt started his three-year-old campaign well over a mile at Newcastle in March and went on to finish sixth in the 2000 Guineas, beaten by less than five lengths.
Ryan and his owner, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, decided to reduce Ryan's charge to six furlongs for the Group Two test held on Merseyside last weekend. Having made significant progress during the race, which saw him defeat Orne and the unbeaten Vandeek, Ryan is now expected to be added to the Commonwealth Cup field for £46,000.
“I was delighted with him on Saturday, he’s a horse with a lot of speed. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid was in agreement that we’d try six furlongs and we were always very confident it would suit him,” said Ryan. “He moved through the race great and quickened up nicely. It would probably be nicer for us in a race where you could give him a lead, but he has such a high cruising speed you have to let him use his stride. He’s a super horse to train in that he has a great mind and a great constitution, he’s a very simple horse to deal with. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid is going to supplement him for the Commonwealth Cup, all things being equal.”