Shareholder will be coming back in trip after Morny disappointment

Adam Morgan
August 20, 2024 1:38 pm

Connections keen to use colt’s best asset of speed going forward.

Shareholder is poised to drop back to the minimum distance following his Prix Morny disappointment, with connections placing a target on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint later in the year.

Having showcased both his speed and raw ability when quickly backing up his Beverley debut win to claim the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, Karl Burke’s youngster was sent off the 7-2 second-favourite when upped in both trip and to Group One company at Deauville on Sunday.

However, he was reluctant to settle in the hands of James Doyle in the early stages of the six-furlong event, which ultimately put paid to any chance of glory and saw the owners’ retained jockey give him an easy time in the latter part of the race.

Keen to maximise his key attributes for the remainder of the season, the son of Not This Time – who cost EURO 460,000 at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year – is likely to race at five furlongs until his campaign comes to a climax at Del Mar in early November.

“I think it will be definitely back to five furlongs and we will give him a once over to make sure we are not missing anything,” said Richard Brown, European racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.

“Back to five was basically the feedback and on very fast ground – that was sticky, tacky ground over six furlongs and he didn’t enjoy anything about that.

“James was very easy on him after his chance had gone and we will give him a once over to make sure all is OK, but we will be pointing at five furlongs from then on, certainly this year – he’s got bags of pace.”

He went on: “We will work back from Del Mar. Sunday was the only time I’ve had a jockey get off a horse having finished last complaining that he was too fast, he’s just got a lot of speed.”