‘He’s a machine’
Sprinter-turned-miler Inisherin blasts away rivals in Commonwealth Cup rout
Inisherin (Shamardal) confirmed himself as the dominant three-year-old sprinter in Britain and Ireland when he produced a devastating performance to land Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot.
Providing sire Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) with a 28th individual Group 1 scorer, Inisherin’s path to victory in Friday’s feature sprint was not exactly conventional.
Having run second on his debut and only run as a juvenile, the colt returned in March to post a comfortable maiden victory at Newcastle over a mile.
Put away in preparation for May’s English 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), Inisherin took a keen hold throughout the Newmarket Classic and, having led for three-quarters of the contest, checked out tamely inside the final furlong to eventually finish sixth, beaten four and three-quarter lengths by the winner Notable Speech (Dubawi).
Following that effort, Ryan decided a drop back in trip may suit the colt, a decision that was first tested in last month’s Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr 2, 6f). It proved the correct one with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s homebred clearing away from his six toiling rivals inside the final furlong, running out an easy three and a half length winner. That victory convinced connections to stump up a £46,000 supplementary fee for Friday’s Group 1.
With fellow Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned Elite Status (Havana Grey) withdrawn from Friday’s Group 1 the morning of the race, Inisherin was sent off the 9-4 favourite for Commonwealth Cup glory and did not disappoint, travelling much the best throughout before taking the lead with two furlongs to run and staying on strongly to beat the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest (No Nay Never) by two and a quarter lengths.
The third-placed horse Jasour (Havana Grey), who is trained by Clive Cox and was sent off the 4-1 second-elect, finished just a head behind the runner-up.
“He’s a machine,” said winning rider Tom Eaves, who was enjoying his second overall winner at the meeting. “I’m very lucky to be on him. A big thank you to Sheikh Mohamed Obaid and Kevin Ryan.
“He’s got a lot of class. He’s quick and when I got off him after the Guineas before I had even opened my mouth, Kevin said he was a sprinter.
“I’ve ridden some good sprinters, the last one being Glass Slippers, and you think well, you have to find another one.
“Tangerine Trees, Brando, they’ve all been very good but we all know how hard they are to come across.
“Fair play for keeping me on him, a massive thanks to everyone. Megan, who rides him at home and Steve the head lad. He’s a unit of a horse, you see how long it took me to pull up.”
Ryan, who has trained the likes of top-level sprinters Brando (Pivotal), Glass Slippers (Dream Ahead), and Cambridge Stud shuttler Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) during his career, confirmed that the July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) on July 13 would be the next target for Inisherin.
“He improved from Haydock. I think he is just going to get quicker and better at this job. He’s a joy to train. He’s an absolute legend,” said Ryan, who was winning the Group 1 for a first time, while he was recording his tenth overall success at Royal Ascot
“It was a very easy watch. Obviously very different ground than how it was at Haydock, which always makes you nervous. But he is a great striding horse.
“Everything went to plan, although they didn’t really take him quite as far into the race as we may have hoped.
“He’s got speed and stamina – don’t forget he ran well in the 2,000 Guineas – and is a pleasure to train. He has a fantastic temperament. He never gives you a moment’s worry and the July Cup will be next.”
On training for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Ryan said: “He is a great owner to have. He’s a pleasure to train for. He takes the pressure off you.
“I put the pressure on myself. Either way, I’m going to feel under pressure. But if you don’t, if on these occasions, if you don’t feel like that, then what are you in it for?”
Owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum was understandably confident for success in Friday’s race following his colt’s Sandy Lane rout.
“We expected him to win this, because he’s a good horse,” Al Maktoum said. “He didn’t run well in the Guineas because he needed a shorter trip.
“Kevin said after the Guineas he would take him to a Group 2 straight away, six furlongs, and he was right, 100 per cent. I trust all my trainers, what they say I agree with them.
“You haven’t seen yet what he can do. He has an incredible turn of foot and [when he gets a strong pace] he will show what he can do.”
Al Maktoum confirmed that both Inisherin and Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) hero Rosallion (Blue Point) will remain in training next season.
“I like racing and I want my horses [Inisherin and Rosallion] to run next year, and the press and the TV like it too,” he said. “Rosallion is a super horse and you haven’t seen the best of him yet.”
Inisherin is the second foal out of the Group 1-winning mare Ajman Princess (Teofilo), herself closely related to Ryan’s Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) hero Triple Time (Frankel), who will shuttle to Darley Australia, and Group 2 scorer Ostilio (New Approach).
Ajman Princess is also a half-sister to Group 3 winner Cape Byron (Shamardal), Listed scorer Third Realm (Sea The Stars) and Rosaline (New Approach), the dam of the aforementioned Rosallion.
Clive Cox was pleased with the third-placed effort from Jasour, who had previously won the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot on May 1, and also confirmed the July Cup would be the obvious next target.
“That was a great run. I’m very pleased,” Cox said. “Obviously the winner was impressive. He just switched leads right before the line, which might have cost us second, but he’s run a blinder. I’m thrilled he’s going the right way.
“I think we are close enough to warrant a kick at the July Cup, a race in which three-year-olds have done really well in the past. That would be my first thoughts as they cross the line, and as long as he comes back ok from here, he’s a horse who deserves to be in the top flight.”
28 for Shamardal
Late Darley sire Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) scored his 28th individual elite-level winner when the Kevin Ryan-trained Inisherin (3 c ex Ajman Princess by Teofilo) blitzed his rivals to win the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot on Friday. Bred and raced by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Inisherin is out of Ajman Princess (Teofilo) a Group 1-winning half-sister to last year’s Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Triple Time (Frankel), who will shuttle to Darley’s Kelvinside base in 2024. Ajman Princess also counts Group 2 winner Ostilio (New Approach), Group 3 winner Cape Byron (Shamardal) and Listed-winning duo Third Realm (Sea The Stars) and Captain Winters (Lope De Vega) among her siblings. The colt was the second member of the family to score at this year’s royal meeting with Ajman Princess also a half-sister to Rosaline (New Approach), the dam of Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Rosallion (Blue Point). Shamardal died in 2020.