The 2024 Betfair Sprint Cup: trends, stats, replays and trivia

When and where can I watch it? Staged at Haydock at 3.35pm on Saturday, live on Racing TV, Sky Channel 424 and on racingtv.com. 

What Grade? Group One. What Distance? Six furlongs 

What Prize Money? £400,000 with the first six home getting a share. First prize is £234,000. 

Age restrictions: For three-year-olds and upwards.

Weights & Allowances: 9st 3lb (3-y-o), 9st 5lb (4-y-o plus) (3lb allowance for fillies and mares).

The Betfair Sprint Cup is the third all-ages six-furlong Group One on the UK calendar. 

It follows the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and July Cup at Newmarket and, like those races, forms part of the QIPCO British Chamnpions Series sprint category. 

The Sprint Cup was established in 1966 and was the brainchild of the late Robert Sangster, the heir to initial sponsors Vernons Pools and later a leading owner/breeder. 

Initially, it was run in early November and runners had to contend with a sharp left-hand bend. It was moved forward two months in 1979 and has been held on Haydock’s straight track since 1986. 

It was promoted to Group One status in 1988, the final year of Vernons' sponsorship. For a period, the race was closed to two-year-olds, but it reopened in 1989. Juveniles have subsequently been excluded since 1994. 

Be Friendly (1966-67) is the only two-time winner of the race. He was a two-year-old when winning the first renewal. No jockey has ridden the winner more than three times while the late John Dunlop, with four wins, remains the leading trainer. 

Age: 

Two-year-olds have been excluded since 1994. Since then, there have been ten three-year-old winners and the rest have all been four or older. 

Three-year-olds did not have a particularly strong record in the race until recently when G Force (2014), Twilight Son (2015), Quiet Reflection (2016), Harry Angel (2017) and Hello Youmzain all won for the Classic generation. However, they’ve been out of luck in the past four renewals. 

There has been no dual winner of the race since the first two editions, Be Friendly winning them both. 

The draw: 

Difficult to make any firm conclusions as to where you want to be drawn. There’s no clear bias. As in all sprints, it pays to be drawn near the likely pace-setters. 

The favourite: 

A decent race for backers of the favourite in recent years. Since 2006, if you had put £10 on each market leader you would be more than £100 in profit. No winner has been returned bigger than 14-1 during that time. 

Official rating: 

In the past 17 years only three winners - Regal Parade (rated 109), the progressive Twilight Son (104) and Regional (109) - have gone into the race rated 111 or less. Dream Ahead, rated 124, was the highest rated. This year, the five runners rated higher than 111 are headed by Inisherin (117). 

Previous runs: 

All recent winners have run at least twice in the season beforehand. However, a previous win in the campaign has not been essential – with Red Clubs (2007), Society Rock (2012) and Emaraaty Ana (2021) overcoming that. 

Experience: 

Since 2006 no winner has had more than 24 runs. 

Not one for the biggest names: 

Aidan O’Brien has never landed the Sprint Cup, while John Gosden has not struck in it since 1993. Ryan Moore has never ridden the winner, either. 

Nor for the Irish: 

The only winners trained in Ireland have been Abergwaun (1972) and Gordon Lord Byron (2013). 

Sheikh Mohammed: 

The most powerful owner in the world must have a soft spot for the race. A record four winners have run in his famous maroon and white colours and he has enjoyed two more successes with Godolphin. However, he has no representatives this time. 

Timeform have assessesd the going as soft for four of the past eight years and the word "soft" has featured in their going description for seven times in the last ten years. 

Trainer Ed Bethell was left fighting back the tears after Regional provided him with a first Group One success. 

Regional had bought for the bargain basement price of 3,5000 guineas in the summer of 2021, rewarding his connections with three previous wins, two of which have been achieved at Haydock. 

Having landed the Listed Achilles Stakes at the Merseyside venue in June, the five-year-old got his first crack at Group One glory in the Nunthorpe at York last month and was not disgraced in finishing fifth, encouraging Bethell to give it another go over an extra furlong. 

He was never too far off the speed and dug deep as the post loomed to see off 50-1 outsider Shouldvebeenaring by a neck. 

“We bought this horse just to win a race and he’s taken these guys (owners) on a tremendous ride,” said Bethell. “This meteoric rise is down to the team at home and we’ve just been incredibly fortunate.” 

Minzaal claimed the first Group One victory of his career as he demolished his rivals. 

Trained by Owen Burrows and ridden by Jim Crowley, the four-year-old had placed at the highest level on multiple occasions but had yet to get his head in front. 

However, he righted that statistic with an effortless performance on Merseyside, sitting in behind the early pacesetters before laying down his challenge entering the last of the six furlongs. 

Minzaal had chased home subsequent Nunthorpe Stakes winner Highfield Princess on his most recent run in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Burrows was thrilled to see the Mehmas colt get the verdict this time. 

"It's been a big year for me, you are soon forgotten in this game and I've been trying to attract outside owners, we don't have a lot of horses to run but a lot of two-year-olds,” he said. “This lad deserved one, he was knocking on the door at two, had an injury at three and was still Group One placed at Ascot and he ran a big race in France last time.” 

Trainer Kevin Ryan insisted he has never trained a better horse than Emaraaty Ana after watching the five-year-old triumph in a race record time. 

Available at odds of 40-1 with sponsor Betfair at the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, money throughout the week saw the gelded son of Shamardal returned with an SP of just 11-1. 

Partnered by Andrea Atzeni and racing in the familiar colours of owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Emaraaty Ana took a narrow advantage entering the final furlong and held off the strong late challenge of Evens favourite Starman to take the honours by a short-head in a photo finish. 

The winning time of 1m 09.10s was a new race record for the six-furlong Group One contest, bettering the 1m 09.40s set by 

Ryan said of this year’s winner: “He was a great two year old and he lost his way a little bit. We were riding him wrong. We started dropping him in and he ran a great race in the Nunthorpe and was beat by a very good horse of Tim’s (Easterby, Winter Power). Today he dropped in and settled. This is his trip. I’m delighted. He is great - he is just a simple horse to deal with and is very straightforward.” 

He added: “He is as good a horse as I’ve ever trained. His work in the morning is brilliant and he wants to please you. You have to be careful that he doesn’t want to please you too much as he can do too much in the mornings.” 

Dream Of Dreams achieved his Group One breakthrough– delivering his trainer Sir Michael Stoute’s third victory in the Haydock showpiece. 

Oisin Murphy always had the 5-2 favourite up with the pace, travelling at the head of a nearside group which held the overall advantage throughout. 

As Dream Of Dreams began to drift across the track on ground described as soft after this week’s rain, he nonetheless ground out victory by a length and a quarter from 25-1 shot Glen Shiel – on whom Hollie Doyle was having her first British Group One ride. 

Golden Horde, the Commonwealth Cup winner at Royal Ascot earlier this season, was third – a neck further back. 

Dream Of Dreams, following up his Group Two victory in Newbury’s Hungerford Stakes last month, has so often had to settle for minor honours in the highest class – including as a head runner-up in the last two editions of Ascot’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes. 

But the six-year-old made sure the glory was his this time, while Stoute had his third success – 33 years after his consecutive previous victories back in the 1980s. 

Philip Robinson, representing winning owner Saeed Suhail, said: “He’s just all of a sudden improved. The gelding operation has helped, without a shadow of a doubt. His mind is in the job. He’s a different horse now and I think Sir Michael’s big trick with him is to keep him fresh and he’s giving him plenty of time between races. He’s thriving. 

Hello Youmzain continued the trend of the Classic generation winning Group One sprints this season with a clear-cut success. 

Ten Sovereigns and Advertise - who both missed out on this event - had triumphed for the three-year-old division in top-level contests this term, and the lightly-raced Hello Youmzain added another victory. 

One of three in the race for Kevin Ryan, James Doyle was content to help cut out the running with Invincible Army. 

Two furlongs out the pair got a break on the field and once Hello Youmzain saw off his big rival, he just needed to hold any challengers emerging from the pack. Former winner The Tin Man and stablemate Brando made late bids, but the 9-2 co-favourite stuck it out well. 

The Tin Man ran his best race of the season back in second, while the German raider Waldpfad flew home for third. 

Hello Youmzain had been off the track since finishing third in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June. 

Ryan said: "We decided after Ascot that we'd be patient with him as it's not all about this year. These horses don't come around very often and although we gave him a tentative entry in the Nunthorpe, this race was always the plan. 

"He's such a young horse and a big horse as well. You shouldn't wish your life away, but he's going to mature and he'll be a stronger horse next year.” 

The two oldest horses in the race were the ones fighting it out at the finish as The Tin Man held off the challenge of fellow six-year-old Brando to raise a third career Group One having twice been successful at the highest level at Ascot. 

Oisin Murphy, in the season that he came of age as a big-race jockey through his association with Roaring Lion, steered the James Fanshawe-trained gelding to success on ground officially described as heavy. 

Murphy found himself in front with more than a furlong to go, but neither Brando nor eventual third Gustav Klimt were able to bridge the deficit, the latter having been last at half way. 

The young Irish jockey, called up as a replacement to The Tin Man’s regular rider Tom Queally, said afterwards: "The race didn't really go to plan. I didn't travel great early, but he's a very good horse and deserved this." 

Harry Angel, sent off the 6-4 favourite, got lit up in the stalls and raced keenly and prominently early on before weakening into a disappointing sixth place late on. 

The participation of the July Cup winner was in doubt until late in the day because of the heavy ground but connections need not have worried as Harry Angel proved in a different league under Adam Kirby. 

Never far away, the combination drew clear over a furlong out and stayed on stoutly. 

“I believe that a proper champion can win on any ground, but he’s so fast I was a little bit concerned,” Kirby said. “I knew he’d won as soon as he picked up. 

“He’s a machine. He’s there now mentally and he’ll keep on getting better.” 

William Haggas, trainer of runner-up Tasleet, lamented the winner getting a softish lead and James Fanshawe, trainer of The Tin Man, said: “He ran very well again, but the ground has blunted his speed. 

An emphatic success for the Commonwealth Cup winner, who had also made the frame in the July Cup. 

Well served by the soft ground, which led to Limato being a late defector, Quiet Reflection cruised through the race under Dougie Costello and won easily. In the process, she was making it seven wins from nine starts. 

“I’ve never ridden anything like it and probably never will again,” Costello said. “She’s push-button go. She won as she liked, she’s the real deal. 

“She was fresh today and between the five and the three I was running away. I got there a little bit sooner than I’d liked.” 

James Fanshawe was delighted with the performance of The Tin Man, who was slowly away, while David O’Meara said of Suedois: “I’m really happy with him to be placed in another Group One. He’s very consistent and very tough.” 

“I thought I might look immensely stupid” said Henry Candy after Twilight Son had taken the jump from handicaps to Group One company in his stride. 

The unbeaten colt was making it five wins from five starts, although he was all out to prevail and in the process go two places better than his half-brother, Music Master, had in the race 12 months earlier. 

As Candy celebrated, Charlie Hills was left to reflect on what might have been. It appeared his Magical Memory was going to win and then his second runner, Strath Burn, lunged late. But Twilight Son, whose previous win had come in a handicap off a mark of 94, had enough in his locker to keep them both at bay. 

Jockey Fergus Sweeney was enjoying his first Group One triumph and said: “He’s done nothing but improve this year. I couldn’t believe how well he travelled into the race.” 

Eddie Lynam was seeking to continue his domination of British Group One sprints, having triumphed with Sole Power (King's Stand and Nunthorpe Stakes) and Slade Power (Diamond Jubilee Stakes and July Cup). 

Sole Power, stepping up from five furlongs to six furlongs, was favourite to continue the sequence but could manage only fourth behind G Force, trained by David O’Meara and ridden by Daniel Tudhope. 

He got the better of Gordon Lord Byron, who was seeking to become the first horse since Be Friendly in 1966 and 1967 to win the race twice. 

An unlucky sixth in the Nunthorpe on his previous start, everything went right for G Force on this occasion. 

Having been edged out the previous year, nobody could deny Gordon Lord Byron his deserved his day in the sun. 

The outcome was never in much doubt, either, as Johnny Murtagh stuck to the far rail and always had matters in hand. After looming into contention two out, the pair powered clear with Murtagh even able to ease up near the finish. 

“He was just electric and he picked up really well and won easy,” Murtagh said. 

Trainer Tom Hogan added: "I knew that he had improved at this time of year every year. I knew last week he was well. I felt today was his day." 

Clive Cox lamaned not taking Lethal Force, the favourite, out of the race after the ground softened. 

Like plenty, Society Rock had got stuck in the mud in the July Cup but he proved a different proposition on the better ground after eight weeks off. 

“I think it's my first winner at Haydock for three years," winning trainer James Fanshawe said. Not a bad way to end the rot. 

He added: "It's been a real team effort. He's a very underrated horse. He was runner-up in the Golden Jubilee before and he won it last year but then we had a nightmare with the stalls. 

"Yarmy (Steve Dyble) and all the team have done a lot of work with him at the stalls since Newmarket. I'm delighted.” 

A fourth Group One triumph for Dream Ahead, even if he did his best to surrender victory and had to survive a tense stewards’ inquiry. 

Dream Ahead seemed to lose concentration and wandered about in the closing stages, but had just enough in hand to hold on from Bated Breath and Hoof It. 

The latter, winner of the Stewards’ Cup, was hindered and his jockey, Graham Gibbons, insisted: "I was carried across the course and it definitely cost me the race. There was only a nose and a head in it." 

Dream Ahead had fluffed his lines at Deauville on his previous start and a relieved David Simcock said: "It's a massive relief as after France we were scratching our heads. It's great for the horse to enhance his reputation. I probably won't see another like him.” 

At the age of seven, Markab became the joint-oldest oldest winner of the race, 33 years after Boldboy had won at the same age. 

It was a first Group One victory for Markab, who enjoyed the combination of firmish ground and a sharp track to win in a record time. 

"I'd say 99.9 per cent of horses his age don't carry on improving but he has, and still is,” Henry Candy, his trainer, said. “He's bigger and stronger than ever.” 

The field split into two and Starspangledbanner, the 11-8 favourite, who was seeking to give Aidan O’Brien a first win in the arce, faded to be fifth. 

The softish ground brought out the best in Regal Parade, a chestnut who had shown his relish for such conditions when previously landing the Ayr Gold Cup. 

The Dandy Nicholls-trained five-year-old, ridden by his son, Adrian, outstayed Fleeting Spirit, the 100-30 favourite, to win by half a length. 

High Standing was a couple of lengths farther back in third with the well fancied J J The Jet Plane trailing home last. 

Regal Parade went on to run in a total of 104 races. Nicholls, dubbed “The Sprint King”, died at the age of 61 in 2017. 

A renewal that was switched to Doncaster, on St Leger day, after Haydock was washed out the previous week. 

There was drama before the start when Equiano, the 9-2 second favourite, burst out of the stalls and had to be withdrawn. 

In his absence, African Rose, a French filly trained by Criquette Head, justified 7-2 favouritism by showing a smart turn of foot down the centre of the track on the soft ground. 

She had previously been beaten under a length by champion sprinter elect, Marchand D’Or, in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.