Tom Marquand believes the flat track at Haydock Park will be ‘right up the alley’ of Sacred in her attempt to secure a breakthrough Group One success in the Betfair Sprint Cup on Saturday.
The Classic-winning jockey will take the ride on the daughter of Exceed And Excel who features among a final field of 17 runners that will contest the £400,000 six-furlong feature, which forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.
After making a winning return in the Group Three Fitzdares Chartwell Stakes at Lingfield Park, the William Haggas-trained five-year-old was then denied a first Group One by a neck on her return to six furlongs in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Although Sacred tasted defeat on her most recent outing back over seven furlongs in the Group Two Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at York last month, Marquand, who partnered his 1,000th domestic winner at Windsor on Monday, is confident of a different outcome.
Marquand said: “I’m looking forward to riding her. There is plenty of moisture in the ground now, but there are a couple of days of drying ground which will help her. She was only just beaten at Royal Ascot and both her runs at York have been below par for whatever reason.
“Going back to a flat six furlongs on fast ground should be right up her alley and hopefully we will see her back to where she was before.”
Entering a Group One race on the back of a defeat is never an ideal statistic but Marquand insists little should be read into Sacred’s latest reversal given she finished sixth in the same race at York 12 months ago.
He added: “There was no frustration at York, it was just one of those things. The race looked tailor-made for her. She jumped out perfectly on the back of Kinross but for whatever reason York just doesn’t seem to suit her.
“Both of her runs there as an older horse have been below what we have expected on the day. It just doesn’t seem to play to her strengths. Some horses don’t like some tracks and York must just not be for her. Her form apart from that is pretty faultless.”
A win in a Group One is the only thing missing from the CV of Sacred, who already boasts wins at both Group Two and Group Three level to her name.
And while the victory would be a sweet one for Marquand, who is seeking his first success in the Sprint Cup, he admits it would be equally important for her owner-breeder, Cheveley Park Stud.
He added: “She has shown on so many occasions that she belongs at this level. It would be very well deserved if she did win a Group One and for Cheveley Park it would be a very important win.
“Hopefully she can get the job done on Saturday.”
Sacred is a 10/1 chance for glory on Saturday with race sponsor Betfair.
Betfair spokesman, Barry Orr, commented today: “Shaquille is odds on 4/5 but we’ve been laying some of the outsiders against him.
“Rohaan is 25/1 from 40/1, Sacred is 10/1 from 12/1 and Mill Stream is 11/1 from 14/1. A full field of 17 is also very positive and we are set fair for a great race’’.
The Betfair Sprint Cup - Betfair Odds: 4/5 Shaquille, 10/1 Spycatcher, Sacred, 11/1 Mill Stream, 12/1 Regional, Lezoo, St Lawrence, 16/1 Believing, 20/1 Swingalong, 25/1 Rohaan, Run To Freedom, 33/1 bar
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