Betfair Sprint Cup: Minzaal holds ‘favourite’s chance’

Owen Burrows would love to see “yard favourite” Minzaal shine in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

The four-year-old finished third behind John Quinn’s Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes in May, after which he bounced back from a disappointing Platinum Jubilee run with a smart Group Three victory in the Hackwood at Newbury in July.

The bay son of Mehmas then set sail for Deauville to contest the Prix Maurice de Gheest, a Group One in which he crossed paths with Highfield Princess once again and this time came home just three-quarters of a length behind her as the runner up.

Highfield Princess then went on to a storming success in the Nunthorpe at York, a performance that left Minzaal’s two encounters with her looking even more impressive ahead of his Sprint Cup tilt.

“We’ve been very pleased with him since France, I think he goes there with a favourite’s chance,” said Burrows.

“Highfield Princess is something else, she certainly franked the form. She seems to be versatile over five, six and seven. We got to three-quarters of a length from her and I think she won the Nunthorpe by two and half – it certainly boosted our form anyway.

“The sprinters tend to beat one another on their given days, Naval Crown beat us at Royal Ascot and was behind us in France. We’ve still got a bit to find on the ratings with him, so it’ll be tough – these races always are.

“He’s been placed in Group Ones at two, three and four. He’s yet to get his head in front in one and of course I’d love to have another Group One winner. He’s a yard favourite and having been so consistent he certainly deserves it.”

Third in the Maurice de Gheest was David Evans’ Rohaan, who landed the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and heads to Haydock, with Deauville fifth Naval Crown – winner of the Platinum Jubilee at the Royal meeting – representing Charlie Appleby.

“Naval Crown has enjoyed a little break since the Prix Maurice de Gheest and heads to Haydock in great shape,” Appleby said on the Godolphin website.

“These Group One sprints are always very competitive but Naval Crown ticks a lot of boxes, having already won at this level in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes.”

Hugo Palmer has three hands to play in the race, with Brad The Brief, Flaming Rib and Dubawi Legend all representing his Manor House base in the latest leg of the Qipco British Champions Series.

Brad The Brief has won both of his two runs this season, taking a good conditions race at Haydock in May and then landing the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh later in the same month.

He has not been seen since as his preferred softer ground has been hard to come by throughout the summer, but with rain forecast his conditions may materialise at the weekend.

“It’s been a frustrating summer for any horse wanting decent ground, and looking back I’m over the moon that we found two good opportunities for Brad The Brief and that he won both times,” said Palmer.

“It looks as if there’s a fair chance he’s going to get some ground on Saturday, as Kirkland (Tellwright, clerk of the course) told me there might be 2-4mm on Friday and another 8-10mm on Saturday.

“He doesn’t need it soft – there was no real cut in it at the Curragh – but he doesn’t want fast ground, and having waited so long I wouldn’t want to go and jar him up out of frustration.”

Flaming Rib, second in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, does not have such strong preferences regarding the going and will look to bounce back from his ninth-placed run in the July Cup at Newmarket.

“Flaming Rib is ground versatile, so the weather holds no fears,” said Palmer.

“We were very disappointed after the July Cup, having supplemented, but he was drawn away from the action and it’s not as if he finished out with the washing.

“This has been the target really since then, and he’s right back to himself now, although it’s taken a little while.”

Palmer’s third hope, Dubawi Legend, was a Group Three winner at Baden-Baden last weekend and makes a swift return to action having pleased his trainer at home.

Palmer said: “Dubawi Legend is amazing. He was very happy and fresh when we gave him a quiet canter on Wednesday morning, and although it’s a big leap from a German Group Three we are keen to give it a go.”

Ralph Beckett’s Kinross was a winner at York’s Ebor meeting when landing the seven-furlong City of York Stakes and will step down in trip at Haydock as he is primed for the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp later in the term.

Beckett said: “There’s no seven-furlong race before the Foret and he’s in good shape, so we are inclined to run for that reason.

“It’s possible he might be going forward, as the ratings suggest it was a career best when he beat Pogo at York. We’ll see.”

Tim Easterby’s Art Power made a long-awaited comeback in the City of York Stakes, finishing fourth on what was a first run for 308 days for the grey son of Dark Angel.

He joins a Yorkshire-trained contingent that includes Kevin Ryan’s Hala Hala Athmani and reigning champion Emaraaty Ana, alongside Richard Fahey’s__ Umm Kulthum__.

The latter is reliant on some give in the going, with Fahey saying: “We’ve just been waiting for some decent ground for her. She’s declared at Haydock, but if it was very quick I wouldn’t run.

“She just needs some decent ground. The season started so well for her when she had some decent ground but it’s been fast ground ever since, we’ve just had a massive dry spell that we can’t do anything about.”

Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Go Bears Go takes his chance for David Loughane, with Fozzy Stack set to saddle Castle Star and Clive Cox’s Harry Three back on home turf after two runs in Deauville – latterly a 10th-placed effort in the Maurice de Gheest.

Cox said: “I’m very happy with him. It was a big step up for him to run over six and a half furlongs in the Maurice de Gheest. The last 50 yards was a long way for him with the step up in trip, so I’m very happy to be running him back over six furlongs.

“The form of the Maurice de Gheest has been seriously franked with the Nunthorpe winner being so impressive.”

Charlie Hills’ Khaadem comes into the race off the back of a highly creditable fourth in the Nunthorpe and Andrew Balding’s Chil Chil and Ed Walker’s Great Ambassador complete the field.

The Haydock Sprint Cup was the brainchild of the late owner-breeder Robert Sangster and was originally sponsored by his family’s Vernons Pools Company.

Up until 1979, the contest took place in early November. Since then it has been staged on the first Saturday in September. Following the abandonment of Haydock’s card in 2008, it was transferred to Doncaster the following week.

Staged over six furlongs, the contest used to involve a left-hand bend before the straight six furlong course was opened at Haydock Park in 1986.

It became a Group One contest in 1988 and is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Be Friendly (1966 and 1967) is the only multiple winner and is commemorated with a statue at Haydock Park. Owned by legendary BBC commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Be Friendly won the first two runnings of the race. The colt’s first victory came as a two year old, who were eligible to compete in the contest up until 1994.

Lester Piggott (Green God 1971, Abergwaun 1972, Moorestyle 1980), Pat Eddery (Record Token 1976, Dowsing 1988, Danehill 1989), Willie Carson (Boldboy 1977, Habibti 1983, Dayjur 1990) and Bruce Raymond (Runnett 1981, Petong 1984, Sheikh Albadou 1992) are the leading jockeys in the race with three winners each.

The late John Dunlop is the most successful trainer with four winners - Runnett (1981), Habibti (1983), Lavinia Fontana (1994) and Invincible Spirit (2002).

Among current trainers, Sir Michael Stoute leads the way with three winners – Green Desert (1986), Ajdal (1987) and Dream Of Dreams (2020).

Sheikh Mohammed has had four winners – Ajdal (1987), Wolfhound (1993), Cherokee Rose (1995) and Goodricke (2005) – more than any other owner.

The biggest-priced winner was Invincible Spirit, who scored at 25-1 in 2002. At the other end of the scale, Dayjur was 1-2 when winning in 1990 and is the shortest-priced winner to date.

Markab was a seven-year-old when scoring in 2010 and is the oldest winner in the race’s history.

Two year olds Be Friendly (1966) and The Blues (1973) are the youngest winners. The race has been closed to two year olds since 1994.

There have been two Irish-trained winners in Abergwaun (1972) and Gordon Lord Byron (2013).

French-trained horses have been most successful with five victories, courtesy of Lianga (1975), Polar Falcon (1991), Cherokee Rose (1995), Nuclear Debate (2001) and African Rose (2008).

Emaraaty Ana, who scored in 1m 09.10s in 2021, holds the record for the quickest recorded time.