Method on course for Commonwealth Cup

Trainer Martyn Meade pleased with Haydock comeback.

Method pleased trainer Martyn Meade and is on course for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot (PA Archive)

Martyn Meade is excited about running Method in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot following the colt’s belated, but pleasing, seasonal reappearance.

The son of Mehmas ran well for a long way in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock until the lack of a recent outing told in the closing stages.

Even so, he was beaten only two and a quarter lengths into fifth place behind Rohaan on heavy ground, having been off the track for 225 days.

I think if you ran it again it would be a different story

Trainer Martyn Meade, on Method's Haydock return

“I loved that. It will have put him spot on for the Commonwealth,” said Meade.

“It was terrible ground. It was just that he didn’t operate on that.

“He was going to win his race, but in the last furlong or so he was climbing and couldn’t really deal with that. But I was really pleased. He was only beaten a couple of lengths.

“I think if you ran it again it would be a different story.”

Meade is confident too that Method will have an ideal short break before his Group One assignment.

“There is a nice bit of time now to Royal Ascot ” he said.

“He runs well fresh and I think the timing is right, so it’s fingers crossed.”