Trainer Kevin Ryan sends Glass Slippers straight to Royal Ascot

The mare enjoyed a successful four-year-old campaign last season, culminating with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November – the first European-trained runner to win that race.

A prior win in the Group One Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes qualified the bay for the latter race, a run that was bookended by second-placed performances in both the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood and Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp.

Saturday’s Temple Stakes had been suggested for the five-year-old’s seasonal debut, but Ryan has confirmed she will be seen next at Royal Ascot

“We’re skipping the Temple Stakes,” said the Hambleton trainer. “We’ll go straight to Ascot, or at least that’s the plan.”

Glass Slippers is entered in both the King’s Stand, a race she finished fifth in when beginning her season last year, and also holds an entry for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs. “She’s in both races and we’ll decide a bit closer to the time which to go for,” her trainer said.

The mare is eligible to defend her Breeders’ Cup crown in November as the only age restriction on the race is that entrants must be over three years old, but Ryan will focus on her early campaign before planning another trip to the States.

“We’ll worry about that (the Breeders’ Cup) when we get to the end of the year,” he said.

“We’ll think about her targets in Europe first, but she’s in great nick at home.”

Meanwhile, sprint champion Battaash is on course to defend his King’s Stand Stakes crown after showing his well-being following an injury setback sustained over the winter.

The seven-year-old, who has also won the last two renewals of York’s prestigous Nunthorpe Stakes under jockey Jim Crowley, returned to Charlie Hills’s stables in Lambourn last month from his owners Shadwell Stud, having recovered from a small fracture.

Hills has been pleased with Battaash and is looking forward to seeing what Shadwell’s number two jockey Dane O’Neill says after he rides the horse in work today.

“Battaash has been back with us a few weeks now. He’s been in training and did a nice swinging canter last week. We’re very happy with him,” said Hills.

“He should get to Ascot. I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t.”

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