Our Ben Linfoot looks at the horses who could take advantage of an open division in the remaining Group One sprints in 2025.
Last week’s Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York summed up the current crop of sprinters quite nicely; juveniles were taking their chances in a race with an open feel to it, there was just one previous Group 1 winner in the 17-strong field (the winner), the overall view of the race afterwards that it was a little below standard and in line with the other British Group 1 sprints this season.
There is no Battaash, no Blue Point, no Muhaarar or Mecca’s Angel around at present, and with no dominant force in the division the prizes are being shared around.
American Affair, sidelined for the Nunthorpe, won the King Charles III Stakes. Time For Sandals landed the Commonwealth Cup for the three-year-olds. Lazzat triumphed in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. No Half Measures caused a 66/1 shock in the July Cup. France had their own upset when Sajir won the Prix Maurice de Gheest at 269/10. And then Asfoora landed the Nunthorpe.
Lazzat and Asfoora look the most likely of the sextet to supplement their 2025 G1 win with another. The former is favourite for the Haydock Sprint Cup and the latter is clear market leader for the Flying Five at the Curragh, connections hoping she can become the first Australian-trained horse to run/win in Ireland. American Affair could return from injury in the Champions Sprint at Ascot in October, too, but he will have to prove himself at six furlongs.
But with four Group Ones left in Europe for the sprinters; the Haydock Betfair Sprint Cup, the Bar One Racing Flying Five, the QIPCO British Champions Sprint and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, the chances are the six individual top-level winners at sprint distances in Europe this season are going to be joined by some new names on the roll of honour.
So who could they be?
MORE THUNDER | Timeform Rating 120p
William Haggas’ MORE THUNDER looks a huge player for the remaining six-furlong Group 1 contests this autumn.
The four-year-old has made remarkable progress for his new trainer this campaign, dropping back half a mile in trip on his way to four victories and an unlucky head second in the Wokingham from five runs.
After he eased his way to handicap success off 87 on his stable debut at Newmarket’s Craven meeting in April he has been sent off a well-backed favourite for everything he has run in, justifying odds of 11/4 and 6/5 in heritage handicaps, that latter price in the Bunbury Cup, before he romped home in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury last time.
That might be the son of Night Of Thunder’s trip at the top level, bringing the Prix de la Foret into play, but six furlongs on softer ground could also be very much his bag and he might just be an even classier version of Montassib who won the Haydock Sprint Cup for the same yard last year.
WOODSHAUNA | Timeform Rating 118
You’ve got to keep an eye on the French raiders come the autumn and I wonder if Francis-Henri Graffard’s WOODSHAUNA might be given the green light to take in a six-furlong Group 1 in the closing months of the British campaign once the ground turns.
The three-year-old Woodman colt has only tried the distance twice in his life but on one of those occasions he beat the Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals in the Prix Texanita at Chantilly, on ground Timeform described as Good to Soft, and there is the possibility he might raise his game further over the six on soft conditions.
On his last two starts he has gone slightly out in trip when winning the Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs and finishing third behind Sajir in the Prix Maurice de Gheest over six-and-a-half, but he was a bit unlucky not to finish second in the latter race and he gives the impression that a strongly-run or stiff six will be well within his range.
He might skip a trip to the UK and go for the Prix de la Foret, as well, but if he does turn up on these shores it could be worth taking the hint.
JM JUNGLE | Timeform Rating 117
JM JUNGLE has got better and better this season for John & Sean Quinn and I would not rule him out of top-level calculations after his defeat in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
The five-year-old struck at Group 2 level in gutsy style at Glorious Goodwood and while he couldn’t quite match that form last week things didn’t pan out quite as well for him on faster ground after he drew stall 13.
He helped tow along the group who were drawn more towards the stands’ side but it was the far-side low-numbered horses who were favoured once again on the Knavesmire as the first four home broke from stalls 5, 3, 6 and 8.
Jm Jungle couldn’t quite maintain his effort in the final furlong from his track position but he was only beaten three lengths at the line and at this level he might just need at least a bit of cut in the ground if he’s to equal or improve on his Goodwood win.
It’s probable he’ll get that on Arc weekend at Longchamp in the Prix de l’Abbaye and granted a half-decent draw there he might just be capable of winning a second renewal for the Quinns after Highland Princess’ success in 2023.
ALMERAQ | Timeform Rating 113p
More Thunder isn’t the only wannabe Group 1 sprinter in the Haggas yard and it will be interesting to see how high his ALMERAQ can fly in the closing months of the season.
You don’t see many horses get raised 15lb for a handicap success and still be favourite for a race like the Ayr Gold Cup, but that is the situation we have here after the son of Dark Angel bolted up at the Scottish track in the style of a pattern-class performer on July 21.
Unseasonal fast ground might ask a question of him, but if we get the expected bit of dig in the conditions this September he could well defy a mark of 105 in Scotland and in that scenario he might just put himself in line for a tilt at the British Champions Sprint at Ascot on Champions Day as well.
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TWO STARS | Timeform Rating 113
Finally, it’s good to see Fozzy Stack’s TWO STARS entered up for the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary on Sunday as he hasn’t been seen since making a deep impression at Naas in April.
You had to be taken with the way he travelled through that Listed five-furlong contest on the front end on his way to victory and though the time off is a bit of a concern he always looked like one for the autumn given he’s built up a very good record on soft and heavy ground.
If he takes in the Tipperary race this weekend he’ll have a penalty to carry but it should be a good indicator over whether he’s got what it takes to take up his entry in the Flying Five on Irish Champions Weekend.
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