Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock: The big questions ahead of Saturday's Group One race

Can Minzaal cut it at the top level?

It has been a big year for Owen Burrows. His first year as a public trainer, his first Group One success, the first time he’s won over £600,000 from his UK runners in a season, the firsts keep on coming.

A first Group One victory for Minzaal will be high up on his wishlist, too, and the comparisons are there with stablemate Hukum, who knocked on the door a couple of times at the top-level before breaking his G1 duck in the Coronation Cup at the third attempt.

Minzaal has had four goes already. He was third in the Middle Park at two, when a front-running Supremacy and a running-on Lucky Vega were too strong. He was third in the Champions Sprint at three, on just his second start of the campaign after injury had kept him off the track. He was then well beaten by Naval Crown in this year’s Platinum Jubilee, when an experiment in cheekpieces went awry.

And then there was the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time where he was outgunned only by subsequent Nunthorpe winner Highfield Princess.

There was no shame in that, but could something else thwart Minzaal this time? His best performances have been over a stiff or elongated six furlongs – could the Haydock six be a tad too quick? Forecast rain would be in his favour but will it come in time?

Supremacy is the only Group One-winning son of Mehmas so far. Minzaal could well be another, and in this race, but there are question marks hanging over him and he hasn’t been missed by the market.

Who is the biggest threat to reverse the Maurice de Gheest form?

Another question Minzaal has to answer is can he uphold the form from Deauville? No Highfield Princess makes this race an easier task than the one he had in France but the market will tell you Naval Crown has a chance of reversing the form and then there’s Rohaan and Harry Three to deal with again, as well.

Let's deal with them in that order.

The edge looked to have been taken off Naval Crown in France, where he ran below the form of his Royal Ascot win and July Cup second, and he has something to prove now. It could be that a return to Ascot, on likely softer ground for the Champions Sprint, will offer him his best chance of landing a second Group One of the campaign.

Harry Three rattled off a run of three victories prior to being stepped up in class in the Maurice de Gheest, but he was outpaced there and that would be the worry again here. He’s an outsider with a bit to find.

So it looks like Rohaan is the biggest danger to Minzaal from those in behind at Deauville. He again caught the eye, travelling well in the rear before running-on too late, an all too familiar story with David Evans’ horse.

He’s won two races in his last 12 – two Wokinghams – which tells you a hell-for-leather six furlongs is right up his street. The problem he’s had at the top level is the leaders don’t tend to come back to him.

But could he reverse the form with Minzaal? Granted the right set of circumstances, I’m sure he could.

Why could Emaraaty Ana become the first back-to-back winner since 1967?

The last time there was a repeat winner in the Sprint Cup Muhammed Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown for refusing to fight in the US Army at Vietnam, The Beatles were releasing Sgt. Pepper’s and teachers were striking for more pay due to rising inflation.

Be Friendly won his second Sprint Cup 55 years ago, too, after landing the first two renewals, the first of which when he was two, with juveniles finally excluded permanently from 1994.

These Group One sprints are so hard to win, though, you can hardly call it a quirk. There hasn’t been a repeat winner of the Platinum Jubilee or the July Cup, either, since Right Boy dominated the sprinting scene in 1958-59.

So why Emaraaty Ana and why now?

Well, does this race look much tougher this year than last, when he beat July Cup hero Starman and subsequent Champion Sprint winner Creative Force, among others? No, not really.

And like last year, is Emaraaty Ana improving throughout the second half of the season building to a campaign high? Yes, it looks like he is.

Six furlongs at Haydock suits him better than five at York and he ran another cracker in the Nunthorpe when finishing third to Highfield Princess. It’s possible he might not be operating quite at the level he was this time last year, but he isn’t far off, and if the rain stays away - though that could be a big 'if' - then he’s a big player for sure.

If not the Nunthorpe, could the City of York be the key?

The Sky Bet City of York Stakes has pretensions of becoming a Group One and, 12 months after three-time G1 winner Space Blues landed the Group Two contest, it would do its claims no harm if this year’s winner Kinross came out and landed the Sprint Cup.

Ralph Beckett’s horse is well used to competing at the top level. He was fifth in Kameko’s Vertem Futurity Trophy on his second start, he trailed the same horse in the following year’s 2000 Guineas, he was fifth in the 2021 Maurice de Gheest, he was fourth behind the aforementioned Space Blues in the Foret and then he was eighth behind Naval Crown at Royal Ascot a couple of months ago.

His nearly-status at the highest level is underlined by his record in Group Two and Three company; he has form figures there of 4-6-6-1-1-3-2-1. A first and a second in Goodwood’s Lennox Stakes and then that City of York win last time out, a convincing success and a career high.

The obvious question is has he got the pace for six? Three times he’s tried it, three times he has been beaten – albeit all of those were in G1 company. Tough tasks, but so is this, and while any rain would help his cause he looks short enough at around 9/1 for a horse that has fallen short when given this sort of test before.

He’s not the only City of York horse in this and while we’ve mentioned Rohaan, what about Tim Easterby’s Art Power who returned from 10 months off on the Knavesmire? He ran fresh and free on the front end on his first go at the trip, but it was a good run with the drop back to six in mind.

Last year he was three lengths clear at halfway in the Sprint Cup and was beaten just under two lengths, but if David Allan can just hold onto him he’s an interesting contender having his third go in the race.

Will the rain come in time for Brad The Brief?

A non-runner in the City of York due to the Good to Firm turf, Brad The Brief should have more suitable conditions in Merseyside if those forecast showers on Friday and Saturday (see below) get into the ground.

If he does get the green light this time he’ll get the chance to complete a hat-trick of wins since Hugo Palmer took over the licence at Manor House, his half-length win over Mooniesta in the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh in May the best performance of his career.

That was over three months ago, but he goes well fresh, he subsequently comes here without any battle scars from the summer, he’s got two course and distance victories under his belt and on Timeform ratings he’s only got 2lb to find with top-rated Naval Crown.

What is not to like? Well, he probably wouldn’t want to get in a pace battle with Art Power and/or Go Bears Go, but if you like the freshness angle at this time of year he’s probably the one you want to be latching on to.

How’s the three-year-old challenge looking?

Traditionally, this has been a good race for the Classic crop. 21 three-year-olds have won it, including nine this century, with just a 2lb concession at this time of year over this trip still proving vital on occasions – G Force and Hello Youmzain the most recent examples there.

This year, a 3yo winner would be a surprise. None of that age group figure in the top six of the betting for the race with any of the major bookies, with general 12/1 chance Go Bears Go the shortest in the market.

Fourth in the Sandy Lane after stumbling at the start back in May, on his only previous go at the track, he has kicked on from a good juvenile campaign, running second to Minzaal at Newbury in July before winning the Group Three Phoenix Sprint back at the Curragh in first-time cheekpieces last time.

That was an impressive win under a penalty and the feeling is if he can get out and control a six-furlong race he’s strong enough to make all, indeed, he’ll be interesting when stepped back up in trip to seven.

If he can’t dominate, or it becomes a test of speed, he might struggle, a couple of scenarios that put him up against it here.

Still, he looks the three-year-old with the best chance, with Dubawi Legend held by him, while Castle Star, Harry Three and Hala Hala Athmani need to improve.

Flaming Rib would be an interesting 3yo contender at a price if he turns up, if you can forgive him his July Cup run where he raced too keenly on the stands’ side. On his Sandy Lane run he’s got the beating of Go Bears Go, so he’s got a good bit of course form up his sleeve himself.

Could any of the other outsiders have a say?

The older outsiders look up against it.

Khaadem has some good form for a 25/1 chance but he has improved since dropping in trip to five furlongs, so going back up to six could prove to be a backwards step.

Chil Chil was beaten just three quarters of a length in this race last year when keeping on well, but has been at least 10lb shy of that form in three runs this campaign. Indeed she was beaten in a fillies’ Listed race at Pontefract last time out.

If you were intent on getting the bat out at a huge price, Umm Kulthum should probably be on your radar.

Beaten a length by Rohaan in the 2021 Sandy Lane, her problems mean that was only four starts ago and she returned with a surprising win, considering the lay-off, at Newmarket on Guineas weekend.

Not at that level in two subsequent starts, she looked to struggle a bit on the fast ground in the summer and she could well go back up a level or two for coming back to Haydock with a bit of ease in the conditions.

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