North Yorkshire-based trainer Kevin Ryan has twice tasted success in the Group One Betfair Sprint Cup, with both Hello Youmzain (2019) and Emaraaty Ana (2021) taking the honours in the six-furlong prize.

This year Ryan is set to saddle Inisherin in the £400,000 contest which forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series. Like Emaraaty Ana, the three-year-old Shamardal colt races in the familiar yellow and black silks of owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and is set to be partnered by regular pilot Tom Eaves.

Runner-up on his only start last year, Inisherin made a successful return on the all-weather at Newcastle in March before running well when a close sixth in the Group One QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Following that effort, he was dropped down to six furlongs and excelled with wins in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park in May and the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot the following month.

Speaking on a Zoom call organised by The Jockey Club, Ryan said today: “Inisherin is in great form. All his fast work is finished now and he had his last gallop on Saturday.

“We’ve had an uninterrupted preparation and all his work has gone to plan when we wanted it to. He is very fresh and well. Knowing the horse, we haven’t had a concern with him in any of his work and I’m confident we are in the right place.

“He is not a complicated ride so I tell Tom just to concentrate on him and not worry about who is beside you. There is a fair chance he’ll put some of the pace to the race anyway. The good thing about him is that he can go on or take a lead.”

The current 7-2 Favourite with race sponsor Betfair has won on all types of ground and Ryan does not have any worries regarding conditions on Saturday.

He continued: “When he ran at Haydock in the Sandy Lane I was worried it might be a bit soft for him but he handled it really, really well and then obviously went and won on opposite ground at Royal Ascot. He handled it just the same and might be quite a unique sprinter in that he can handle fast ground and softer conditions too. I have no concerns about the ground at Haydock. It’s a lovely track and this time of year it should be in top shape.

“He will stay further than six furlongs. He showed a lot of speed in the Guineas. Top-class milers and even top-class 10-furlong horses need that speed. I just felt this year while he is starting to strengthen and has that speed, why not try him sprinting? The Sandy Lane slotted in ideally for us and that set him up for Royal Ascot.”

Inisherin’s one slightly disappointing effort came on his most recent appearance when fifth, beaten just under three lengths, in the Group One My Pension Expert July Cup at Newmarket.

The trainer however believes that was not the colt’s true running and can leave it behind him when he lines up on Saturday.

Ryan said: “The July Cup at Newmarket was a funny one really. Me 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. Once he hit the rising ground, he did start to stay on but in those top-class sprints you just can’t afford to lose ground.

“Before Newmarket, he had also been quite busy. He had gone from a maiden, then the Guineas and Royal Ascot which were championship races. He was in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, but I spoke with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and we decided to miss it and freshen him up for the two big sprints at the end of the year – Haydock and Ascot.

“We just backed off him a bit and have facilities here like the water treadmill which he loves going on. It’s just good to give him a change of scenery and keeping him at a certain level of fitness. You work backwards from the race and keep an eye on his weight. Obviously he is now approaching four and is getting stronger and gaining more muscle as the year goes on.”

Asked to compare Inisherin with his two previous Sprint Cup heroes, Ryan remarked: “This horse is very like Emaraaty Ana in that he is a very easy horse to train. We were lucky the year Emaraaty Ana won as he wanted top of the ground and happened to get it, which is unusual at Haydock at the time of year.

“Hello Youmzain, like Inisherin, had good form at Haydock coming into the race and was proven on the track which always stands you in good stead.

“We’ve been very lucky over the years, going back to the likes of Amadeus Wolf in the early days and Brando, who flew the flag for many years. The Grey Gatsby was another fantastic horse, as was Triple Time.”

Ryan is very appreciative of the support from Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and is looking forward to the 2025 campaign with Inisherin.

He commented: “The thing about Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s horses is that they have beautiful pedigrees, so when he sends you yearlings there is likely to be a good one in there. He also has Elite Status trained by Karl Burke running for him on Saturday but he lets his horses take one another on and is not afraid of getting beat.

“These top-class races are what get you up in the morning. The team here work hard all year, all through the winter and everything. I’m just fronting it really and we’ve been lucky to have some nice horses over the years to enable us to keep at this level.

“This fella has always excited us and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has said he will stay in training next year – sometimes you have too short a time with these horses and we are looking forward both to Saturday and going into next year with Inisherin.

“All the good horses we have had over the years, I have had a great love affair with them for what they have done for me and Hambleton Lodge by keeping us in the limelight. They have all been very good horses in their own right.”

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Daniel Cooper, Clerk of the Course at Haydock Park, said today: “The confirmations look excellent for the Betfair Sprint Cup and it’s very exciting. With 22 entries going forward, I am expecting a full field of 17 runners on Saturday and we have already spoken to Weatherbys about the provision for reserves.

“We’ve had 20mm of rain in the last seven days or so, 9mm of which was on Sunday and 8mm yesterday, and we are currently Good to Soft, Soft in places on both the round and straight courses.

“The outlook looks calm and dry now, with a settled forecast. I think we’ll go Good to Soft tomorrow. By the weekend, I think we could be looking at Good, Good to Soft in places although I would say it is unlikely that it will go Good all over.”