Crack three-year-olds Advertise and Ten Sovereigns headline 13 runners chasing Gr1 glory in the £300,000 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park this Saturday.
Advertise (Martyn Meade/Frankie Dettori) is the 11/4 favourite with Betfair following a fine run of form that has seen him capture the Gr1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Gr1 Prix Maurice de Gheest on his latest start at Deauville, France, on August 4. In between, he lost nothing in defeat when second to a revitalised Ten Sovereigns (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore, 7/2 with Betfair) in the Gr1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket in July.
The top-class Advertise
Ten Sovereigns returns to six furlongs after coming home sixth behind Battaash Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 23, his first attempt over five furlongs. Trainer Aidan O’Brien saddles three runners in total, with Ten Sovereigns joined by last year’s Gr1 Cheveley Park Stakes scorer Fairyland (Padraig Beggy, 20/1) and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes third So Perfect (Wayne Lordan, 16/1). Ireland’s champion Flat trainer has yet to win the highlight of Haydock Park’s Flat Season.
The Charlie Hills-trained Khaadem (Jim Crowley, 5/1) finished seventh behind Advertise at Royal Ascot, but has since marked himself down as a top-class sprinter in the making with a dominant success in the Stewards’ Cup Heritage Handicap at Goodwood on August 3. Hills nearly pulled off the same double in 2015 with Magical Memory, who was beaten three parts of a length by Twilight Son at Haydock Park.
Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes runner-up Dream Of Dreams (Danny Tudhope) is an 8/1 chance with Betfair, as trainer Sir Michael Stoute chases a third Betfair Sprint Cup triumph, having last won the contest with Ajdal in 1987. Dream Of Dreams is aiming to put a disappointing run behind him having finished 10th in the G1 Darley July Cup.
The Tin Man (James Fanshawe/Oisin Murphy, 14/1) and Brando (Kevin Ryan/Tom Eaves, 14/1), who fought out the finish to last year’s Sprint Cup, both line up again. The Tin Man would become only the second horse after Be Friendly (1966 & 1967) to win back-to-back runnings of the G1 highlight.
The Tin Man winning from Brando in 2018
Brando’s trainer Kevin Ryan also saddles Gr1 Commonwealth Cup third Hello Youmzain (James Doyle, 10/1), winner of the Gr2 Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes over six furlongs at Haydock Park in May, and Major Jumbo (Kevin Stott, 66/1).
The Irish challenge also includes Forever In Dreams (Aidan Fogarty/Billy Lee, 33/1), who has not raced since finishing second behind Advertise at Royal Ascot. Prior to that, the daughter of 2011 Sprint Cup hero Dream Ahead landed the six-furlong Listed Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock Park in May.
German raider Waldpfad (Dominik Moser/Andrea Atzeni, 14/1) is no stranger to success in Britain, having captured the Gr3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury on July 20, a race in which Khaadem and The Tin Man finished second and seventh respectively. Waldpfad has since finished second in the G2 Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden on August 25.
Dominik Moser reported this morning: “Waldpfad is in good form and we have been delighted with his preparation.
“He has already started the journey over, he left this morning and will arrive in Britain this afternoon.
“We have been happy with him since his run at Baden-Baden. He came out of it very well and this has been the plan since.
“He was unlucky at Baden-Baden as he got a bump coming out of the stalls and the ground was very quick.
“He took on a talented British horse [Royal Intervention] who got first run and we were unable to make up the ground.
“I have heard that they have had rain at Haydock and soft conditions will suit him. Softer ground is a benefit and I think that will see him to good effect.
“It is a little bit of a dream to have a runner in a G1 event at Haydock. We have already won a G3 in England this year and we are looking forward to the opportunity to compete in England again.
“I think six furlongs is his ideal trip, but he stays seven furlongs. It should be a stiff six-furlong test at Haydock and that will suit Waldpfad.”
Invincible Army
The 13 runners are completed by Invincible Army (James Tate/PJ McDonald, 16/1), successful this season in the G2 Duke of York Stakes in May and the Gr3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle the following month.
