Sprint Cup Day at Haydock Park is one of the biggest Flat meetings in the North West of England, and many horse racing fans from Saddleworth will make the short trip across to the Lancashire course for the latest renewal in the sport.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat is the standout name entered in the race. He is expected to line up at Haydock as he bids to add to his Royal Ascot success. The four-year-old gelding is rated as one of the leading sprinters in Europe after he got the better of a strong field at Ascot under the hands of James Doyle.
Lazzat Set to Renew His Rivalry with Royal Ascot Challengers
Trainer Jerome Reynier has opted against running his star sprinter in the July Cup at Newmarket this summer, as the Group One contest will arrive too soon for his horse. As of the 1st of July, Flora Of Bermuda and Symbol of Honour are the 7/2 joint-favourites in the horse racing betting for the 6f contest at Flat racing’s HQ.
Lazzat has been given some time off before he tackles the Sprint Cup in the latter stages of the season. He will be bidding to become the first French-trained horse since African Rose in 2008 to win the race. With eight victories from 11 starts, the four-year-old has an impressive strike rate on the track.
As a son of Territories, Lazzat was bred to have a lot of speed on the track. His first success at the highest level came in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last summer. Since then, he has featured in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK.
Lazzat is expected to come up against some of his rivals from Royal Ascot when he enters the starting stalls at Haydock. Japanese raider Satono Reve finished runner up in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, just less than a length behind the winner. The six-year-old will get the chance to reverse the form with the French-trained sprinter.
Former Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin could only finish seventh behind Lazzat at Ascot. Kevin Ryan’s runner won the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last season. He is set to have at least one more run before the Sprint Cup, so he should be much fitter the next time he tackles Lazzat in the sprint division.
One of the surprise packages in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes was Nighteyes, who was able to finish fourth at odds of 100/1. The four-year-old filly came home third in the Cecil Frail Listed Stakes at Haydock earlier in the campaign. Her connections will be hoping she can continue her rise in the official ratings with another big run in the Haydock feature.
No Sir Michael Stoute at the Meeting This Year
Sir Michael Stoute is a name racegoers at Haydock are used to seeing in the card at Haydock, especially on Sprint Cup Day, as he has won the feature contest three times in his career. As you may have read in the news, Stoute retired from training at the end of last season, so this is the first renewal of the meeting he will not be part of.
The Hall of Fame trainer was first victorious in the prestigious sprint contest in 1986. Green Desert gave him a maiden triumph under the hands of former Derby-winning jockey Walter Swinburn. 12 months later, Stoute doubled his tally in the race when Ajdal came out on top at the Lancashire course.
Stoute had to wait 33 years for his third win in the Sprint Cup. At the age of six, Dream of Dreams was victorious for the Newmarket-based handler. He had previously finished second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, so to go one place better at Haydock was a real boost for his connections.
In recent years, northern trainer Kevin Ryan has been the most successful in this race. He scored in 2019 and 2021 with Hello Youmzain and Emaraaty Ana, respectively. Ryan may saddle two horses in the race this year, with Inisherin and Grand Grey. Both runners have a great chance of giving him a hat-trick in the 6f contest.
The 2025 Sprint Cup takes place on Saturday, 6th of September, with the racecourse planning several entertainment activities across the day. Tickets for the meeting remain available at Haydock Park’s official website.
You must be logged in to post a comment.