Shareholder is set to drop back to five furlongs after a disappointing Prix Morny, with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint now a target for later in the year.
Following a strong performance in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and a Beverley debut win, Karl Burke’s colt was 7-2 second-favourite for the Prix Morny at Deauville. However, he struggled to settle under James Doyle and was eased once his chances were gone.
The son of Not This Time, purchased for €460,000 at the breeze-up sales, will return to shorter distances to better utilise his speed. Richard Brown, European racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing, confirmed that Shareholder will race at five furlongs for the remainder of the season.
“We’ll give him a thorough check, but the plan is definitely to focus on five furlongs,” Brown said. “The ground at Deauville was not ideal, and he didn't handle it well. We’ll work towards Del Mar, as he has immense speed and should thrive on faster ground.”