Betfair Sprint Cup report and replay: Minzaal storms to victory

The four-year-old was claiming the first Group One of his career – and the trainer’s second of the season – and was cantering throughout under Jim Crowley.

The gap he needed appeared over a furlong out and bouncing off the fast ground, he bounded clear of his toiling rivals.

At the line he was a widening three-and-three-quarter lengths clear of last year’s winner Emaraaty Ana (7/1) and Rohaan (7/1).

The trainer, who also landed this year's Coronation Cup with Hukum, said: “All credit to the team back home, they’ve been working hard and to get the job done is amazing. 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.

“These big winners on a Saturday in Group Ones are hard to come by. 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.

“Shaun (Muscroft) who looks after him was telling me he was in better form than before France and he was right, he blew them away. His biggest asset is his temperament, it’s to die for for a sprinter, he’s so laid back about life. He’s a pleasure to train.

“The race went to plan once he jumped, he was just behind the leaders which didn’t quite happen in France. I’m thrilled because he’s been knocking on the door for a few years and didn’t get the chance to show what he could do last year.”

Minzaal is as short has 5/2 for the QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot but Sky Bet go 5/1 (from 9s). Burrowsadded: “The French winner (Highfield Princess) franked the form in the Nunthorpe and we’ll be heading to Ascot next, that looks the obvious target.”

Crowley admitted he was expecting a big performance from Minzaal before the race.

He said: “That was very smooth. I was very confident coming here, I thought he ran a good race in France but I just got stuck behind one at the wrong time, so I was delighted to see Highfield Princess come out and win the Nunthorpe. He’s always promised to win us a Group One. He used to be slowly away from the stalls and lose his race at the start a little bit but he broke well, travelled smoothly and it was a very easy race to ride.

“He’s a good horse, he’s not ground dependent, that’s as fast as he’s ever run on and he skipped off it. He’s a proper horse, he was a Gimcrack winner at two and this day has been coming. The lad told me on the way out he’s never been better and it certainly felt like that. It’s great for Owen, too, he’s flying.”

Jockey Andrea Atzeni was on board the runner-up Emaraaty Ana and felt his mount lost little in defeat.

He said: “He ran a blinder. It was very similar to last year in that he travelled beautifully through the race and when I let him down he really picked up for me. He just found one a bit too good on the day.”

Hollie Doyle was pleased with third-placed Rohaan, who previously finished fourth behind Minzaal in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in July. She said: “It was a great run and they went flat out, a lot quicker than at Newbury and I think that played into most of our strengths. It was a great run.”

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