Elite Status a big threat to same owner’s Inisherin in highly competitive Betfair Sprint Cup

Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin heads the market for Saturday’s £400,000 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, but his owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s second runner Elite Status looks a major threat in a highly competitive field of 16 for this QIPCO British Champions Series Group 1.

The pair were scheduled to meet in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, but the long-striding Elite Status was forced to miss the race after knocking a joint at home, which had evidently also been an issue on occasions in the past.

Inisherin won that race impressively, coming home clear of Lake Forest and Jasour, but trainer Karl Burke has always thought the world of Elite Status and said earlier this week that he is sure he “would have been bang there” with the winner had he been able to run.

Since Royal Ascot Inisherin has been a disappointing favourite for the July Cup, whereas Elite Status has returned successfully to the scene of his impressive Listed win at Newbury in the spring for the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes, where he confirmed himself a top-flight sprinter by beating the Commonwealth Cup runner-up Lake Forest and Kind Of Blue, with last year’s Sprint Cup winner Regional only fourth. Crucially, Burke has had a rare clear run with him since.

Swingalong and Spycatcher more than a second-string for brilliant Burke

The stable also runs two proven Group 1 contenders in Spycatcher and Swingalong, so jockey Clifford Lee had a difficult choice to make, all the more so as he has gone agonisingly close in Group 1 races before and would hate to choose ‘wrong’. His opting for Elite Status therefore tells its own story. 

Burke, who recalls his filly Quiet Reflection being “electric” when winning the Sprint Cup on soft ground in 2016, said: “Clifford has chosen to stick with Elite Status, who is the youngster of the party and goes there on an upward curve.

“The issue with Elite Status knocking his joint seems very much behind him and since Ascot he’s been very good. He obviously put up a big performance at Newbury last time and he’s training very well, so we are very hopeful. 

“He handles some cut in the ground and going on the easy side of good would be fine, but we wouldn’t want a lot of rain for him so I was pleased to hear that they were expecting it to dry out a bit before Saturday.

“If that was the case it would suit both Elte Status and Swingalong, but obviously the softer the better so far as Spycatcher is concerned. One way or another we’ve got the ground covered though, and I think if there’s any soft in the description Spycatcher will take his chance.”

Swingalong has been luckless so far in seven tries in Group 1, but she was a good fourth here last year and this summer went down by only half a length to Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot (Vadream, Shouldvebeenaring and Art Power all behind) and by just a neck to Mill Stream in the Darley July Cup (ahead of Art Power again, Inisherin, Jasour and Vadream). Spycatcher, successful in a Group 3 at Deauville last month, also has a Group 1 second on his CV, having been beaten a short-head in last year’s Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Burke said: “Swingalong has proven herself in Group 1 company once again this year and deserves to win one. Spycatcher is tough and durable and has been fantastic to have around. He’s a proper Group 1 horse too on soft ground.”

William Buick, pencilled in for one of Lee’s ‘rejects’ at the start of the week, rides Swingalong, while Ryan Moore’s services have been snapped up for Spycatcher.

Ryan hopeful of improved Inisherin performance

Inisherin bids to give Kevin Ryan a third Betfair Sprint Cup in five years following the wins of Hello Youmzain (2019) and Emaraaty Ana (2021), and he is the only member of the field to have won a Group 1 sprint this year. He was home bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaidh out of his Group 1 1m2f winner Ajman Princess, whereas Elite Status was a sales buy and cost 325,000 guineas.

Ryan confirmed that the Sheikh has “no problem” with running two fancied horses in the same race and reports Inisherin “in great form” and “very fresh and well” following an uninterrupted preparation. He believes he has the colt in the right place to put behind him his July Cup running, which he is inclined to attribute to a combination of factors, including his busy spring and the ground.

He said: “The July Cup was a funny one really. Knowing the horse as well as I do, I was a little bit concerned after a furlong – 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. 

“Also, before Newmarket, he had been quite busy. He had gone from a maiden, then the Guineas (good sixth after showing a lot of speed) and Royal Ascot, which were championship races.” 

Easterby, Haggas and Hannon strongly represented in £400,000 feature

Tim Easterby won this with Pipalong (2000) and Somnus (2003), and his Art Power would be a contender on last October’s 40-1 defeat of Kinross in last year’s QIPCO British Champions Sprint, when Spycatcher was third and Swingalong fourth. However, he hasn’t won since.

The Richard Hannon-trained Shoulvebeenaring was a Group 3 winner at Deauville in July and his neck second to Regional here last year would clearly put him in with a shout.

William Haggas has decided to save Lake Forest for Doncaster next week and relies upon Montassib and Unequal Love. Montassib took the notable scalp of Kinross in a Group 3 at Newcastle in June but hasn’t run since. Unequal Love seeks Group 1 black type after finishing third to Flora of Bermuda at York in July in the Group 3 Summer Stakes. Flora Of Bermuda was a supplementary entry for this race on Monday, at a cost of £20,000.

Another intriguing runner is Mick Appleby’s globetrotting Annaf, who hasn’t been out since beating an international field in a hugely valuable Group 2 at Riyadh in January. Despite needing to overcome the effects of a significant period off the track, he was beaten little more than three lengths into seventh in this race a year ago despite running into traffic problems and rates a significant threat if fully wound up for his seasonal re-appearance.

Irish invasion out to re-write Sprint Cup history at Haydock

Abergwaun (1972) and Gordon Lord Byron (2013) are the only Irish-trained winners in the race’s near 60-year history, but there are three Irish runners with claims here.

Bucanero Fuerte was an easy Group 1 winner at two, and although he hasn’t been out since beating Givemethebeatboys 3lb and a narrow beating in a Group 3 at Naas in May he’s been the subject of encouraging reports this week. Givemethebeatboys ran unaccountably badly when gambled on in the Commonwealth Cup next time but bounced back in a Group 3 at the Curragh last month. Moss Tucker is a classy sprinter on his day and won the Group 1 Flying Five a year ago.