Officials at Haydock have moved to ensure the Group 1 32Red Sprint Cup will be run on the freshest possible ground by bring the race forward on Saturday’s card.
The feature event on a terrific day’s racing at the Lancashire course was originally scheduled to be run as the sixth race but will instead take place as the third race of the afternoon with heavy rain forecast for the area. Conditions are already soft and could be even more testing if the overnight forecast proves correct.
That has prompted a gamble on the Kevin Ryan-trained Brando. The five-year-old was an 11/2 chance at the start of the week, but is now as short as 5/2 and threatening long-time favourite Harry Angel at the head of the market, though is still available at 10/3 with 10Bet.
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Brando probably posted a career-best when landing the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month. The going was good on that occasion, but he won last year’s Ayr Gold Cup on an easier surface and the Coral Charge at Sandown on soft. Connections are convinced he can make an impact in Haydock’s £260,000 showpiece, which forms part of the Qipco British Champions Series, this weekend, though admit that Harry’s Angel is the one to beat on his July Cup success.
Sprint Cup Winners
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Be Friendly | 2 | Colin Williams | Cyril Mitchell | Peter O’Sullevan | |
| 1967 | Be Friendly | 3 | Scobie Breasley | Cyril Mitchell | Peter O’Sullevan | |
| 1968 | no race 1968 | |||||
| 1969 | Tudor Music | 3 | Frankie Durr | Michael Jarvis | David Robinson | |
| 1970 | Golden Orange | 4 | Jimmy Lindley | Ken Cundell | Lady Clifden | |
| 1971 | Green God | 3 | Lester Piggott | Michael Jarvis | David Robinson | |
| 1972 | Abergwaun | 4 | Lester Piggott | Vincent O’Brien | Charles St George | |
| 1973 | The Blues | 2 | Richard Marshall | Bill Marshall | G. van der Ploeg | |
| 1974 | Princely Son | 5 | Johnny Seagrave | Ken Cundell | Wilfred Sherman | |
| 1975 | Lianga | 4 | Yves Saint-Martin | Angel Penna, Sr. | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1976 | Record Token | 4 | Pat Eddery | Peter Walwyn | Sir Herbert Ingram | |
| 1977 | Boldboy | 7 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Lady Beaverbrook | |
| 1978 | Absalom | 3 | Taffy Thomas | Ryan Jarvis | Mrs C. Alington | |
| 1979 | Double Form | 4 | Geoff Lewis | Fulke Johnson Houghton | Baroness H. Thyssen | |
| 1980 | Moorestyle | 3 | Lester Piggott | Robert Armstrong | Moores Furnishings Ltd | |
| 1981 | Runnett | 4 | Bruce Raymond | John Dunlop | Miss V. Evans | |
| 1982 | Indian King | 4 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | J. Levy | |
| 1983 | Habibti | 3 | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | Mohamed Mutawa | |
| 1984 | Petong | 4 | Bruce Raymond | Michael Jarvis | Tom Warner | |
| 1985 | Orojoya | 3 | Brent Thomson | Jeremy Hindley | Robert Sangster | |
| 1986 | Green Desert | 3 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | Maktoum Al Maktoum | |
| 1987 | Ajdal | 3 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | Sheikh Mohammed | |
| 1988 | Dowsing | 4 | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | Khalid Abdullah | |
| 1989 | Danehill | 3 | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | Khalid Abdullah | |
| 1990 | Dayjur | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Hamdan Al Maktoum | |
| 1991 | Polar Falcon | 4 | Cash Asmussen | John Hammond | David Thompson | |
| 1992 | Sheikh Albadou | 4 | Bruce Raymond | Alex Scott | Hilal Salem | |
| 1993 | Wolfhound | 4 | Michael Roberts | John Gosden | Sheikh Mohammed | |
| 1994 | Lavinia Fontana | 5 | Jason Weaver | John Dunlop | Cyril Humphris | |
| 1995 | Cherokee Rose | 4 | Cash Asmussen | John Hammond | Sheikh Mohammed | |
| 1996 | Iktamal | 4 | Willie Ryan | Ed Dunlop | Maktoum Al Maktoum | |
| 1997 | Royal Applause | 4 | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | Maktoum Al Maktoum | |
| 1998 | Tamarisk | 3 | Tim Sprake | Roger Charlton | Highclere Racing Ltd | |
| 1999 | Diktat | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | |
| 2000 | Pipalong | 4 | Kevin Darley | Tim Easterby | Tom Bennett | |
| 2001 | Nuclear Debate | 6 | Gérald Mossé | John Hammond | Bob Chester | |
| 2002 | Invincible Spirit | 5 | John Carroll | John Dunlop | Prince A. A. Faisal | |
| 2003 | Somnus | 3 | Ted Durcan | Tim Easterby | Legard / Sidebottom / Sykes | |
| 2004 | Tante Rose | 4 | Richard Hughes | Roger Charlton | Bjorn Nielsen | |
| 2005 | Goodricke | 3 | Jamie Spencer | David Loder | Sheikh Mohammed | |
| 2006 | Reverence | 5 | Kevin Darley | Eric Alston | G. & L. Middlebrook | |
| 2007 | Red Clubs | 4 | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | Ronald Arculli | |
| 2008 | African Rose | 3 | Stéphane Pasquier | Criquette Head-Maarek | Khalid Abdullah | |
| 2009 | Regal Parade | 5 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls | Dab Hand Racing | |
| 2010 | Markab | 7 | Pat Cosgrave | Henry Candy | Tight Lines Partnership | |
| 2011 | Dream Ahead | 3 | William Buick | David Simcock | Khalifa Dasmal | |
| 2012 | Society Rock | 5 | Kieren Fallon | James Fanshawe | Simon Gibson | |
| 2013 | Gordon Lord Byron | 5 | Johnny Murtagh | Tom Hogan | C. Poonawalla & M. Cahalan | |
| 2014 | G Force | 3 | Danny Tudhope | David O’Meara | Middleham Park Racing XVIII et al. | |
| 2015 | Twilight Son | 3 | Fergus Sweeney | Henry Candy | Godfrey Wilson & Cheveley Park Stud | |
| 2016 | Quiet Reflection | 3 | Dougie Costello | Karl Burke | Ontowainner, Strecker & Burke |
Soft going is a complete unknown for Clive Cox’s star sprinter, however. He has won at Haydock and on good to soft going at Newbury but there is a genuine fear that this weekend’s holding ground will blunt his natural speed and he’s drifted out to a general 9/4 having been only 6/4 at the start of the week.
THE TIN MAN and Tasleet, first and second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, were both behind Harry Angel and Brando in the July Cup but James Fanshawe’s gelding was second to Quiet Reflection in last year’s Sprint Cup when conceding 5lb and that run proves he handles soft going. Still available at 15/2 on Betfair, he looks the each-way value in a race in which it is difficult to look beyond the first half-dozen in the betting.
32Red Sprint Cup Current Best Odds
Harry Angel (9/4), Brando (10/3), Tasleet (11/2), The Tin Man (15/2), Blue Point (10/1), Magical Memory (14/1), Growl, Kimberella and Spirit of Valor (33/1), Queen Kindly (40/1), Cougar Mountain and Mr Lupton (66/1)
