Steve Ryder has an ante-post selection for the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup at Haydock is a Group 1 run over 6 furlongs and it often brings together horses from the July Cup and rivals who have been competing over different distances throughout the season so far.
Haydock Sprint Cup Winners, Trends & Stats
Be Friendly has been the only multiple winner of this race in 1966 and 1967 and in recent years has taken a good three-year-old to win the contest with the older generation successful for the previous five seasons.
- 11 of the previous 12 winners were rated 109 or higher
- 9 of the previous 12 winners had at least one victory at Group level
- 9 of the previous 12 winners had at least 3 previous wins over 6f
- 7 of the previous 12 winners were aged four or older including the previous five.
- 5 of the previous 12 winners had won their previous starts
- 5 of the previous 12 winners had at least one victory at Haydock in their career
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Haydock Sprint Cup Runners Guide
Lazzat
Jerome Reynier’s stable star justified his purchase by Wathnan Racing prior to his victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot when beating Japanese superstar Satono Reve by half a length. Sent off 1/2 for Prix Maurice de Gheest last time at Deauville over 6½f, the gelding ran well to finish 2nd behind Sajir when beaten 1 ¾ lengths at the finish despite racing keenly in the early stages.
Connections have stated that his next target is either this race or the Prix de La Foret over Arc Weekend which is sponsored by Qatar so his participation in this race remains slightly doubtful.
More Thunder
Has progressed from a mark of 87 to 117 so far this season since moving to William Haggas and dropped in trip. The four-year-old was an impressive 2 ¼ length winner of the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes over 7f last time, a race at Dream Of Dreams won prior to his success in this in 2020 in the same colours of Saeed Suhail.
The concern would be the flat spot he hits in his races which was the reason he was beaten in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot off a mark of 98 on his previous start over this 6f distance.
No Half Measures
Defied odds of 66/1 to provide Richard Hughes with his first Group 1 victory as a trainer. The four-year-old filly remains unexposed over this 6f trip with form figures of 21111 over this distance.
She finished 2nd beaten ½ length at the track in a listed race in May showing that she handles the track and she is deserving of her revised rating of 113.
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Time For Sandals
Won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot despite an SP of 25/1 and appearing to be drawn on the unfavoured part of the track. The form of that success has been boosted by the runner-up Arizona Blaze winning a Group 2 on his next start and Time For Sandals herself boosted that form with a close 3rd in the Group 2 King George Sprint at Glorious Goodwood.
Sayidah Dariyan
Another Richard Hughes trained filly who has improved with each start this season. She outran odds of 66/1 to finish a close 4th in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot before an impressive victory in a Group 3 over 6f at York.
She was outpaced in the Nunthorpe last time dropped down to 5f and she will relish this return to 6f if coping with the quick turnaround only a fortnight later.
Shadow Of Light
Last year’s European Champion Two-Year-Old who is yet to win in three starts this season. A close 3rd in the 2000 Guineas over a mile, he has run with credit at Ascot over 6f and Deauville over 7f at Group 1 level since.
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Haydock Sprint Cup Trainers & Jockeys To Watch
Kevin Ryan (Hello Youmzain in 2019 and Emaraaty Ana in 2021), James Fanshawe (Society Rock in 2012 and The Tin Man in 2018) and Henry Candy (Markab in 2010 and Twilight Son in 2015) have all won this race twice in recent years.
Oisin Murphy has the best recent record in the race with victories on board The Tin Man in 2018 and Dream Of Dreams in 2020.
Haydock Sprint Cup Tips
No Half Measures 10/1 (0.5pt ew)
With slight doubts surrounding the participation of both Lazzat and More Thunder, now appears the time to back NO HALF MEASURES (best priced at 10/1) who sprung a surprise in the July Cup last time. The four-year-old filly remains unexposed over this 6f trip with form figures of 21111 over this distance and hits the majority of the trends highlighted above in this preview.
No Half Measures finished 2nd beaten only ½ length in a listed race here in May showing that she handles the track and she can hopefully provide Richard Hughes with a second Group 1 success of his training career.
