Taking into account that it’s Royal Ascot next week and there is a big charity meeting at York this weekend, Musselburgh will be delighted that another maximum field is contesting the William Hill Scottish Sprint Cup, the most valuable race of the year at the course so popular with the residents of nearby Edinburgh.
Scottish Sprint Cup Trends
Only two favourites have won the race in the last 11 years. The last two winners had double-figures draws near the stands rail which suggests a change in trend as the two previous winners had been drawn in stalls one and three respectively.
One factor that must be taken into account is that 10 of the last 11 winners have been aged between four and six – only six of this year’s field falls into that category.
Only one of the last 11 winners hadn’t been placed in the first three on their previous start so good recent form is also important. Most recent winners had raced in the previous four weeks but raced no more five times in the current season. Winning form over 5f at a decent level (Class 4 or above) is also vital.
If we rely totally on the trends, the short-list is comparatively small – but we can trust history?
Caspian Prince (12/1 with the sponsors) heads the weights and Tony Coyle’s speedster arrives off the back of a gutsy win in the prestigious Epsom Dash but will have to plot a course down the centre of the track from stall four and has tried, and failed, in this race twice before.
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A number of today’s rivals finished behind Caspian Prince at Epsom with Duke Of Firenze faring best. He was only beaten a short neck and is clearly at the top of his game at present. But his odds reflect that (a best 13/2), though he comes out of the same stall as last year’s winner and it’s hard to imagine David Griffiths’ evergreen sprinter not being involved in the finish.
Only three lengths separated the first 10 at Epsom, however, among them last year’s fourth Kimberella, Bowson Fred, Desert Law and EL ASTRONAUTE.
We’re going to take a chance that John Quinn’s four-year-old can come out best today at a best 14/1, more than twice the odds of Duke Of Firenze. With the sun forecast to shine on Scotland’s east coast, the going could be good to firm by the time racing gets under way and that won’t inconvenience the son of Approval who has already won at Newmarket and Chester this year, though East Street Revue is also respected at 14/1 with William Hill if putting a below-par run at York behind him.
William Hill Scottish Sprint Cup Current Best Odds
Duke Of Firenze (13/2), Orion’s Bow (10/1), Kimberella and Desert Law (11/1), Caspian Prince (12/1), East Street Revue, Stepper Point and El Astronaute (14/1), Bowson Fred, Harry Hurricane, Line Of Reason and Robot Boy (16/1), Confessional and Gamesome (20/1), Mirza, Move In Time and Jack Dexter (25/1)
