Our form expert finished August +78.7pts up after tipping A Bit Of Spirit last Saturday and he has five selections for Betfair Sprint Cup day including in the feature.
The Verdict: Saturday September 6
1pt win Prague in 1.15 Haydock at 5/1 (General)
1pt win Gran Descans in 2.25 Haydock at 6/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Telemark in 2.40 Ascot at 14/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 General)
0.5pts e.w. Imperial Sovereign in 3.00 Haydock at 50/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 General)
1pt win Sayidah Dariyan in 3.35 Haydock at 16/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
Say it loud and sing it proud at Haydock
Once upon a time not that long ago racing fans would’ve presumed Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup would take place on soft or heavy ground, but that hasn’t been the case the last few years and it won’t be the case on Saturday, either.
Thursday’s forecast thundery showers completely missed Haydock Park and the result is ‘Good’ ground which might count against quite a few of these.
Favourite Lazzat wouldn’t necessarily be one of them, he won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on 'Good to Firm' after all, but I do think his optimum conditions are a stiff six furlongs and this looks a relative speed test.
Kind Of Blue, Sky Majesty, Beauvatier and Inisherin might all have preferred a testing ground Sprint Cup, too, but Richard Hughes’ SAYIDAH DARIYAN will be grateful for the quicker conditions and she looks a big price at 16/1.
This thriving three-year-old filly looked destined for the big league when she came out of a good run in the Commonwealth Cup and won the Group 3 Summer Stakes at York under a confident Billy Loughnane in July, so it was no surprise connections rolled the dice and dropped her in trip for the Nunthorpe where she ran a cracking race in seventh after missing the break on the far side.
Stone last after two furlongs and with loads to do under Ryan Moore, she stayed on really well to be beaten just four lengths while shaping as though she would very much appreciate a return to six furlongs.
It looked a clear signal that she’s ready for the top level over six and while she was caught out over the five furlongs in the Nunthorpe I do think her gears could be a defining factor back at this trip against her Haydock rivals.
The Nunthorpe has been a stepping stone for two of the last four Sprint Cup winners – Emaraaty Ana and Regional – in renewals that were also run on relatively quick conditions for the time of year and I’m banking on this filly’s zip counting for plenty.
Of course, there are scenarios where stall one on the far side could be problematic, but I think Loughnane will drop her out and track the pace which looks to be down the middle, so hopefully she settles well amongst cover before weaving her way through.
The Verdict: Back SAYIDAH DARIYAN in the 3.35 Haydock
Czech mate in Haydock opener
Saturday’s Haydock card opens with the Group 3 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes and PRAGUE could gain revenge for his unlucky defeat in the same race last year.
Dylan Cunha’s horse found all sorts of traffic problems in the straight last year before flying home for a half-length second and he went one better three weeks later in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
Rated 117 after that, he hasn’t matched that form since but I do think he’s had excuses in three starts this year.
At York he was caught out by a quick seven furlongs behind Quinault, in the Summer Mile at Ascot Point Lynas went clear in a funny race and I’m not convinced he liked going right-handed that day, while last time at Pontefract he was caught out wide and raced far too keenly under Jim Crowley.
Kieran Shoemark takes over again here and if he gets him settled from what could be an ideal draw in stall one he could finally show his best form.
The Verdict: Back PRAGUE in the 1.15 Haydock
Super Gran in a different league
GRAN DESCANS can improve again in the Betfair Plays In A Different League Handicap for three-year-olds over 1m6f at Haydock.
Harry Charlton’s son of Frankel has benefitted from his educational debut at Sandown by improving markedly since, winning from a subsequent winner at Doncaster before he won a small race on the Lingfield turf.
Those three runs look to have prepared him nicely for handicaps and he shaped really well on his debut in the sphere in the Racing League at Newcastle, staying on for second behind Circus Of Rome in a fashion that suggested he’ll appreciate this longer trip.
A 9lb pull at the weights can help him reverse those placings and the form looks good with the third home coming out and finishing second by a neck in a competitive handicap at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
The Verdict: Back GRAN DESCANS in the 2.25 Haydock
Mint Imperial for Kirby
William Haggas has a strong hand in both 1m6f handicaps and he could easily win the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap with The Reverend who bolted up at Ripon last time.
That was on soft ground, though, as all of his best form is, so I’m not totally against opposing him and I can’t resist a small each-way go on Phil Kirby’s IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN at 50/1.
If you rewind 12 months this horse actually has form with The Reverend as he was beaten just over eight lengths by him at Ascot and his 20lb pull in the weights from that day gives you a clue as to how their respective fortunes have fared since.
Imperial Sovereign had one more run for Karl Burke and Sheikh Obaid after that before he was bought for 49,000 guineas by his new connections at the sales in the winter and he shaped well on his stable debut here at Haydock when beaten just over six lengths in May.
Things haven’t gone so well since, but he tried two miles for the first time in the Northumberland Plate and then did too much too soon in a prominent position in first-time cheekpieces at Newmarket after that.
Above everything else, though, he was probably just too high in the weights off marks in the high 90s and the handicapper has finally relented by dropping him 7lb in two runs to a mark of 89.
That reminds me of Stargazer for Kirby, a horse who came from Sir Michael Stoute’s before he quickly dropped in the weights and won a handicap over 1m6f at Haydock at 50/1.
I’m not saying lightning will strike twice, but there’s enough there to have a nibble at big prices.
The Verdict: Back IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN in the 3.00 Haydock
Get on the Tele at Ascot
Finally, Simon & Ed Crisford’s TELEMARK looks the one to be on in the Schweppes Handicap over seven furlongs at Ascot.
While Haydock have largely missed the rain, Ascot has turned ‘Soft’ and that will be music to the ears of the Crisfords as they’ll have been waiting for this sort of ground for the son of Night Of Thunder.
A winner on soft ground at Doncaster off just a 1lb lower mark this time last year, the four-year-old has not had his conditions all year but shaped well on faster ground at Chester and York while running nicely twice on the Tapeta at Newcastle.
Put away for a few months after his latest run, he returns to the track fresh and on a nice mark and I wouldn’t be surprised if he proves himself an improved performer a year older now he has his ground.
The Crisfords are very shrewd when it comes to keeping certain horses under wraps until the autumn and this fellow looks like one of those, while Warren Fentiman’s 5lb claim helps him even further from a handicapping point of view.
Indeed, if you include Fentiman’s claim he gets a 9lb pull with favourite Native Warrior on their Newcastle run in June and the way he ran on there suggests he might just turn the tables on this track off these terms.
The Verdict: Back TELEMARK in the 2.40 Ascot
Preview posted at 1555 BST on 05/09/25
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