12 Jun 2019
Saturday’s Haydock Sprint Cup has been overshadowed somewhat by the hoopla surrounding the clash of Enable and Crystal Ocean at Kempton Park.
However, the Group 1 Sprint Cup, which is worth a record £325,200, sees the return of last year’s winner Harry Angel, who has been sidelined since Royal Ascot with injury.
Clive Cox’s runner will be attempting to become only the second horse to win back-to-back Sprint Cups. Be Friendly (1966-67) is the only horse to have managed the feat.
We take a look at each of the 12 runners for the 6f dash (4.15pm).
BRANDO (Kevin Ryan)
Since 2006, no winner of the Sprint Cup has had more than 24 runs. Brando has 28, but produced his best when runner-up in the July Cup to US Navy Flag, with re-opposing Sir Dancealot (4th), Eqtidaar (9th) and Sands Of Mail (12th) in behind.
The six-year-old subsequently failed in his defence of the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, but was drawn on the wrong side of the track and was first home on his side.
The difficulty with Brando is that he needs a fast pace to aim at, as he is a hold-up horse, and with 12 runners, it is possible he may not find the cover he requires.
DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT (Andrew Balding)
The five-year-old may be one of the Genting Casino outsiders, but he has performed well at Haydock, winning twice this season on each of his two visits.
While he was well held by Quiet Reflection in this race two years’ ago, he was beaten just half a length by Sir Dancealot in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood in July and has not had many hard races this season, so may have place claims.
HARRY ANGEL (Clive Cox)
The fourth three-year-old in succession to win the Sprint Cup last year, Clive Cox’s stable star is unbeaten in two previous starts at Haydock and has yet to be beaten anywhere except at Ascot.
However, he will be returning from injury, having got unsettled in the stalls ahead of his 11th-place finish to Merchant Navy in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting in June.
He quelled doubts about handling soft ground when winning this race last term and easily accounted for Brando on his return to action at York before his injury.
Cox is happy with his work and said: “Things have improved markedly since a couple of weeks after the July Cup and continued in a very positive direction. His work has been impeccable.”
If fit, and there is no reason to think he will be rusty, the four-year-old looks the one to beat and he is the current Genting Casino favourite at 11/8.
SIR DANCEALOT (David Elsworth)
There was no disguising David Elsworth’s delight when the improving four-year-old was a fine fourth in the July Cup. He felt there was improvement forthcoming and he subsequently won a pair of Group 2s at Goodwood and Newbury, shrugging off his penalty in fine style to take the Hungerford Stakes. That was a fifth win over 7f, but he also acts over a stiff 6f, as he showed in the July Cup at Newmarket.
While the Prix de la Foret on Arc weekend was more of an obvious race to target than this, he has been in such good form that connections are right to take their chance.
TASLEET (William Haggas)
The five-year-old, who finished runner-up in this race last year, has been a little unlucky, finishing second in three Group 1 races. He will probably win at the top level sooner rather than later and his Genting Casino odds of 8/1 may appear a little generous to some.
Having finished second in the Diamond Jubilee and QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot last season, he has made just one appearance this term, when beaten two-and-a-half lengths by Merchant Navy in a Curragh Group 2 in May.
He had a little setback after that but has been in full work and Haggas has been happy with him since. He is a fresh horse and handles easy ground.
THE TIN MAN (James Fanshawe)
Oisin Murphy replaces Tom Queally, who has ridden The Tin Man in all but one of his 20 starts, including when scoring in the 2017 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. He suffered traffic problems when attempting to retain that title this season.
The Tin Man was a fine third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month, having previously been a close-up fourth in the Diamond Jubilee.
Connections will be keeping an eye on the weather, because his ability to handle soft ground is still open to question. The heavens opened ahead of the Sprint Cup last year when he was third to Harry Angel. His current Genting Casino odds of 7/1 may interest each-way punters whatever the ground conditions.
EQTIDAAR (Sir Michael Stoute)
The improving three-year-old struck gold when landing the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, with Sands of Mali (2nd), Hey Jonesy (5th) and Speak in Colours (14th) adrift.
However, he was unable to back up that display in the July Cup, finishing ninth.
He has had a break since, as Stoute feels that this big, powerful son of Invincible Spirit needed time to fill out his frame and he has apparently been working very well.
Any rain should not inconvenience him and as a three-year-old, he receives 2lb from his elders, which could make all the difference.
He is currently available at 16/1 with Genting Casino and he should get every assistance from the saddle with former champion Jim Crowley aboard.
GUSTAV KLIMT (Aidan O’Brien)
It has been a wretched summer by Aidan O’Brien’s own lofty standards, thanks to a bug in the Ballydoyle yard.
Three-year-old Gustav Klimt has been highly tried this term, but only has a Listed-races success to his name, and having been campaigned over 1m in five subsequent starts, he was promptly beaten by Sir Dancealot over 7f in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.
Dropping him back to 6f for the first time since his debut looks a gamble and while O’Brien insists he shows a lot of speed at home, he may not have the pace to match some of these.
HEY JONESY (Kevin Ryan)
Another three-year-old, he has recoded just one victory in eight starts, which came on his second outing, a 6f York novice race as a juvenile.
However, despite his Genting Casino odds of 50/1, he is worthy of his chance in this company, following his two-length fifth in the Commonwealth Cup, and he has proven form in easy ground, having finished a close-up fourth to US Navy Flag in last season’s Middle Park at Newmarket.
JAMES GARFIELD (George Scott)
Supplemented at a cost of £15,600 on Monday, this three-year-old upped his game in first-time blinkers last time when a half-length runner-up to Polydream in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Frankie Dettori will resume the partnership, despite riding Enable on her belated return to action at Kempton earlier in the afternoon.
With three wins from 12 starts, the son of Exceed And Excel appears to run better on Good ground or softer, and connections are obviously hopeful of picking up the pieces should Harry Angel not be at 100 percent.
SANDS OF MALI (Richard Fahey)
It is quite a surprise to see this son of Panis at the Genting Casino odds of 20/1, given that he won the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes here in May and then was a fine runner-up in the Commonwealth Cup.
Things have not panned out as expected in two starts since.
Although he was taking on his elders for the first time in the July Cup, he raced on the wrong side of the track, and then did not have a lot of room when 16th of 20 in the Prix Maurice de Gheest when partnered by Pierre-Charles Boudot, rather than regular partner Paul Hanagan, over an extended 6f.
With proven soft-ground form, this course and distance winner will no doubt have his supporters.
SPEAK IN COLOURS (Joseph Patrick O’Brien)
A winner of three of his seven starts, he was found wanting on his only start at the top level, when 14th in the Commonwealth Cup, but he bounced back to win a Group 3 at the Curragh in August.
That looked a fine effort, coming from off the pace to finish strongly over a 6f trip that suits.
Easier ground will not be a problem and at 16/1 with Genting Casino, he rates as a lively outsider.
TRENDS TO NOTE
Since 1994, there have been nine three-year-old winners. The rest have all been four or older
Since 2006, if you had put £10 on each market leader you would be £87.50 in profit
The five Group 1 sprint races run in Britain this year have failed to yield a winning favourite
Four of the past seven winners had run in the July Cup on their latest start
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