Betting: Suedois to bring home the candy in Sprint Cup
Question marks over the weather mean choosing the winner of Saturday’s Haydock Sprint Cup (4.30pm) is an even trickier task than usual.
If the rain stays away, then Limato will be a hot favourite for trainer Henry Candy, who is bidding to win the race for the second successive year.
Limato’s victory in the July Cup at Newmarket is the best form on offer and if the ground remains good he’ll be very hard to beat.
That impressive performance at HQ was followed up with an excellent second behind Mecca’s Angel in the Nunthorpe and he will certainly appreciate the step up in trip.
The fact Candy has already pulled Twilight Son out of the race surely means he expects Limato to line up, but the fear of rain is enough to put me off backing him at 2/1.
Quiet Reflection is next in the market at 9/2.
She finished third in the aforementioned July Cup having already won the Prix Sigy, Sandy Lane and Commonwealth Cup this season.
That hat-trick means she has won six of her eight career starts, and it would be no surprise to see her go in again.
However, at the prices I’m willing to take an each-way chance on SUEDOIS at 14/1 with Betway.
He’s bidding to give David O’Meara his second Sprint Cup victory in three years and the form suggests he has every chance.
The son of Le Havre has very little to find with the market principles having gone close on several occasions this season.
In fact, it was Suedois who split Limato and Quiet Reflection in the July Cup, and yet he is more than double the price of both.
He found the extra half-furlong too much when finishing fourth from a poor draw at Deauville last time and will definitely prefer racing back over six.
But there were positives to take out of that race, with Suedois finishing just a neck behind Jimmy Two Times, who had previously run Quiet Reflection to a head.
As a five-year-old he arguably has less room for improvement than some of the others, but he has shown enough to warrant my support and this race looks ideal.
James Fanshawe won this contest with Society Rock back in 2012 and will be hoping The Tin Man can pull off a similar performance tomorrow.
The son of Equiano was back to winning ways at Newbury in July, putting an under-par performance in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot well and truly behind him in the process.
Earlier in the day I’ll be backing Andrew Balding’s MONTALY, who brings strong form to the Old Borough Cup (3.30pm) having finished third at Newbury in July.
That form has been boosted by runner-up Sea Of Heaven who has since gone on to land a prize at Ascot for trainer Sir Mark Prescott.
He also finished just a neck behind Arch Villain in the Shergar Cup Stayers’ race and could be set for an assault on the Cesarewitch.
That all bodes well for my selection and at a general 8/1 he looks a great each-way chance.
Ralph Beckett’s Magic Circle could prove the main danger having won the Stayers’ Stakes at York back in July, but he could do with some rain, as could Ebor runner-up Shrewd.
POINTERS Saturday
Montaly e/w 3.30pm Haydock
Suedois e/w 4.30pm Haydock