Despite reservations about the forecast soft going, July Cup winner Ten Sovereigns is among 13 runners declared for Saturday’s Group 1 Spring Cup at Haydock, sponsored for the first time this year by Betfair.
The Sprint Cup is contested over 6f at the Lancashire track and forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series being the third all-aged Group 1 sprint on the UK calendar.
Initially run in early November and around a left-hand bend. It was moved to its current place in the calendar in 1979 and has been held on Haydock’s straight track since 1986. It became restricted to three-year-olds and upwards only in 1994 having been previously open to two-year-olds. It was promoted to Group One status in 1988.
No horse has won it twice apart from Be Friendly, who won the first two editions.
Betfair 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 | |
| 2017 | Harry Angel | 3 | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox | Godolphin | |
| 2018 | The Tin Man | 3 | Oisin Murphy | James Fanshawe | Fred Archer Racing |
Sprint Cup Trends
- Three-year-olds have won four the last five runnings and five of the last eight
- Half of the last 12 winners started favourite
- Eight of the last 13 winners had won a group race previously
- All but one of the last 13 winners had run at least three times that season
The Tin Man is a general 16/1 to become only the second horse to win this race for a second time. He can’t have the ground soft enough but will have to run an awful lot better than when fading out of contention behind Waldpfad and Khaadem, only a best 5/1, in a Group 3 race at Newbury seven weeks ago. The latter has since won the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood in impressive fashion but this is a massive step up in class from that. Waldpfad (18/1 with Betvictor) was beaten in a Group 2 back in Germany subsequently.
Ten Sovereigns is one of three Aidan O’Brien three-year-olds in the line-up and the pick on his Newmarket form when he had Fairyland back in third. He got taken off his feet behind Battaash over 5f at York last week and this is a more suitable test. But his normal ebullient trainer is clearly worried about current ground conditions and he’s been very easy to back this week (now 5/1 with Coral).
Advertise beat several of this weekend’s rivals when he won the Commonwealth Cup under an inspired Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot on good to soft ground. Ten Sovereigns reversed the form in the July Cup on quicker going but Martyn Meade’s classy sprinter got back to winning ways in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville when holding off a rejuvenated Brando. The latter was a gallant second in this race 12 months ago so the 14/1 with Bet365 is too big if he’s back on song. Advertise is a best 3/1 with Coral, among others, and probably has a favourite’s chance but this as strong a renewal as you could imagine.
Dream Of Dreams (9/1 with Betfred) was a fast-finishing second behind Blue Point in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot and didn’t get much of a run in the July Cup. Forever In Dreams, a massive 33/1 with the sponsors, has also won at Haydock this year and improved again to finish second to Advertise at Royal Ascot but we are highlighting HELLO YOUMZAIN as our value bet.
Kevin Ryan is not afraid of taking on the big stables with his sprinters – note Brando’s second in this last year – and the son of Kodiac showed what he was all about when trouncing the much-vaunted Calyx at Haydock in May. Successful in a Group 2 on soft going at Maisons-Lafitte as a juvenile, he missed the break in the Commonwealth Cup when last seen so did well to make the frame. That gives him around 5lb to find with Advertise but he will have benefited from a rest and is no forlorn hope if the ground doesn’t dry out considerably.
Betfair Sprint Cup Current Best Odds
Advertise 3/1, Khaadem and Ten Sovereigns 5/1, Dream Of Dreams 9/1, Hello Youmzain 12/1, Brando 14/1, The Tin Man 16/1, Waldpfad 18/1, Fairyland and Invincible Army 20/1, So Perfect 25/1, Forever In Dreams 33/1, Major Jumbo 66/1
(Odds correct at 3.15pm September 5)
