Betfair Sprint Cup: Raymond remembers sensation Sheikh Albadou

Of all the victories Bruce Raymond enjoyed in a distinguished 36-year career in the saddle, the Haydock Sprint Cup is a race he holds dear to his heart.

It is 30 years this week since Raymond steered Sheikh Albadou to success in the six-furlong sprint – the last of Raymond’s three victories in the race.

Now 80 and still a key cog in the racing world working as racing manager to powerful owners such as Saeed Suhail, Jaber Abdullah and Saaed Manana to name but a few, alongside another former jockey, Philip Robinson, he remembers the top-class sprinter by Green Desert as “easily one of the best” he rode.

The six-furlong Group One sprint is invariably chock-full of crack sprinters, some of whom have managed to go on to become champions.

The 1992 renewal was a good one, containing the Richard Hannon (senior)-trained pair of Mr Brooks, who had won the July Cup, and Shalford, who annexed three Group Three races, along with John Gosden’s subsequent Prix de la Foret scorer Wolfhound.

Though sent off the 9-4 joint-favourite with Mr Brooks in the eight-runner contest, Raymond remembers the race was easy pickings for Sheikh Albadou, who was trained by the late Alex Scott.

“He was a lovely horse, a rich bay, and he was just very good,” said Raymond. “He was relatively easy to train and at that time, I was second jockey riding for Sheikh Maktoum (Al Maktoum), so was riding a lot of work for Alex Scott as well. We had some good fun.”

In a golden era of jockeyship, with the likes of Lester Piggott, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery, Steve Cauthen and Walter Swinburn on the scene, Raymond was content to pick up any top-class ride he could – as he did at Haydock.

“Sheikh Albadou was very good. He won the Breeders’ Cup the year before with Pat Eddery, who was the number one jockey for Sheikh Maktoum at the time,” he remembered.

“Pat went off to ride for Coolmore the following year and Walter was aboard him thereafter – but I don’t know why Walter didn’t ride him at Haydock. Lucky for me!

“I was lucky enough to get the ride and won on him. I held him up and he quickened nicely and went clear inside the final furlong. I think he ducked right a bit, but he won pretty easily (by two and a half lengths).

“He would have been a better horse with blinkers on, because he used to pull up when he got to the front and I possibly went a stride or two too soon.

“I thought he was a certainty. I thought he was better than Mr Brooks and would win if I didn’t cock it up – and I probably nearly did.

“I think Lester was second on Mr Brooks, who sadly died afterwards after another Breeders’ Cup at Gulfstream. He was good, but not as good as Sheikh Albadou.”

Raymond, whose first big win came aboard Rainstorm in the 1962 Newbury Autumn Cup, also won a July Cup, a Nunthorpe, an Ayr Gold Cup and guided unconsidered Blue Judge to a runner-up finish in the 1993 Derby.

Yet his trio of Sprint Cup victories are among his favourite career highlights.

Raymond – who was in the Derby winner’s circle this year with the Suhail-owned Desert Crown – said: “It was a lucky race for me. Haydock was a good track. When I was riding for Michael Jarvis, he was leading trainer and I was leading jockey for a couple of years there, because we used to send our best horses there.

“It was a terrible place to get into, but it was great racing and a good track. They put on all the best races, so I used to enjoy going there.

“Funnily enough, the Sprint Cup was a very good race for me, as I had won it on Petong (1984) when it was called the Vernons Sprint Cup, and I won it on one of John Dunlop’s, Runnett (1981).

“Petong was a very good horse. I won the Wokingham, Stewards’ Cup and then the Vernons Sprint on him – which was run on a round course then.

“When I won on Runnett it was a round course and then they changed it. When I won on Sheikh Albadou, it was a straight course.

“Petong, who was trained by Michael Jarvis, was a very good horse. He was a gorgeous grey horse, by Mummy’s Pet.

“But Sheikh Albadou would have to be easily one of the best I rode, although he wouldn’t be considered it.

“I thought Petong was a fantastic horse because he came up through the handicap ratings. It was hard to set them apart from each other – they were both very, very good.”

He added: “It has been a really lucky race for me, because after I retired, I was involved with a few other winners of the race.

“When working for Maktoum Al Maktoum we had Iktamal (1996) and Royal Applause (1997), Hello Youmzain for Jaber Abdullah (2019) and Dream Of Dreams for Saeed Suhail (2020).

“Obviously, I was working with Joe Mercer when Iktamal won and I went over with jockey Willie Ryan to Canada with him afterwards, which was very enjoyable. Yes, it has been a lucky race for me.”