Gyllen & Inns Of Court seek Group honours at Maisons-Laffitte

Improving three-year-old Gyllen and G1 runner-up Inns Of Court go after Group success at Maisons-Laffitte, France, on Sunday, 15 July. 

Medaglia d’Oro colt Gyllen moves up to G2 level in the Prix Eugene Adam over an extended 10 furlongs after coming home fourth at the same distance on heavy going in the G3 Prix Noailles at Longchamp on Sunday, 15 April. 

Gyllen started this year with two victories, also over an extended 10 furlongs on heavy ground, at Saint-Cloud in March, including when staying on well to take the Listed Prix Francois Mathet. 

Trained by Andre Fabre and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, he lines up against four rivals, including G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Louis D’Or and Longchamp Listed winner Native American. 

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin commented: “Gyllen is an honest, straightforward horse, who recorded a couple of nice wins at the start of the year and had a break after running in the Prix Noailles. 

“He runs well with cut in the ground, so there is a question mark over how he will cope with the quicker going, but he looks to have the level of form to run well in a race like this.”

Inns Of Court races at six furlongs for the first time in the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis having finished second in G3 races over seven furlongs at Longchamp on both his starts this year – the Prix du Palais Royal on Saturday, 2 June and the Prix de la Porte Maillot on Saturday, 30 June. 

The four-year-old Invincible Spirit colt was caught on the line when going down by a short-head in the mile G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August and cosily won last year’s G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot, which was run at the Normandy course in 2017. 

A field of 10 for the Prix de Ris-Orangis also features the 2016 G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest victor Signs Of Blessing and Finsbury Square, who was fourth to Blue Point in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Inns Of Court, trained by Andre Fabre with Mickael Barzalona back in the saddle, is drawn in stall three.

Lisa-Jane Graffard added: “We were slightly disappointed that Inns Of Court failed to win on his latest start after a good comeback run, but conditions should be more in his favour here.

“We don’t see the step down to six furlongs as being a problem - he is a horse who likes a strong pace, so we hope that this will play to his strengths.

“This is a completely different task, but he ran well over the straight mile at Deauville last year and this is a straight six furlongs.

“He is in good form and we hope that he can show the promise of his races last year.”