Who Will Win The 2020 Sprint Cup At Haydock Park?

12/03/2023
6 min. read
Horse Racing Tips
Steve Mullington
By Steve Mullington

Saturday sees the 54th running of the Sprint Cup being run at Haydock Park, a race that features some of the fastest horses in Europe.

Be Friendly won the initial running of the race in 1966 and there is a statue in his memory right next to the paddock at the Merseyside track. Be Friendly registered back-to-back victories in 1966 and 1967 and is the only horse ever to do so thus far.

The Sprint Cup is steeped in history with Champions including classic sprinters such as the late Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s Be Friendly, Danehill and G-Force, and three times winning jockeys Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery and Willie Carson.

Let’s take a look at all the Sprint Cup trends and statistics with a view to aiding you with your online betting:

  • Age: 8/10 winners were aged between 3 and 5.

  • Rating: 9/10 winners had a rating of 111 or higher.

  • Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least 3 runs that season.

  • Course Form: 7/10 winners had at least one previous run at Haydock.

  • Group Form: 8/10 winners had at least one win in a Group 1-3 race.

  • Last Time Out: 3/10 winners won on their last run before the Sprint Cup.

  • Price: 7/10 winners were in the top 3 in the betting.

Runner-by-Runner Guide:

Brando (Kevin Ryan)

The Kevin Ryan team is represented by a trio of runners in this race and naturally one of those runners is Brando, runner-up in 2018 and fourth last year.

The eight-year old does go on soft ground, as his second to The Tin Man in 2018 thus proved, but all his best form has been on quick crowd and he does look up against it here.

Dream Of Dreams (Sir Michael Stoute)

Bounced back to winning ways in spectacular fashion in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury and a reproduction of that run would leave the others trailing in his wake in this.

The six-year-old handles soft ground and he is also a course and distance winner. What is there not to like about him and his chances?

Glen Shiel (Archie Watson)

A winner of three of his last four starts and his Group Three triumph at the Curragh last time was a highly commendable effort.

The six-year-old is also the first ride in a Group One in Britain for Hollie Doyle. No pressure there then!

Hello Youmzain (Kevin Ryan)

Winner of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and also victorious in last year's Betfair Sprint Cup, the four-year-old was also second in the Prix Maurice de Gheest over six furlongs at Deauville and comes into this race at the top of his game.

Can he emulate Be Friendly and win back-to-back renewals of this contest? Well 7/2 in our horse racing betting says he can.

Summerghand (David O’Meara)

Stewards’ Cup winner and perhaps one of the greatest Placepot horses in the land at the moment, but whether he can make the frame in this, his toughest task to date, looks a little improbable.

He did however finish a neck second in Listed company last weekend so one can never say never.

Tabdeed (Owen Burrows)

Tabdeed defeated The Tin Man in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in July and has not been seen out since.

This will be his first run in Group One company and there is a suspicion that he may not be entirely at home on any ground resembling soft.

The Tin Man (James Fanshawe)

The eight-year-old boasts form figures of 1-2-2-3 in this race and it would be folly to write him off just yet, just for the sake of backing a younger rival.

The Tin Man seems to come alive at this venue and should be shortlisted for a place at least.

Art Power (Tim Easterby)

Three-year-old is Art Power was a Group Three winner at Naas in July and Tim Easterby is chasing down a third Sprint Cup following Pipalong (2000) and Somnus (2003).

He needs to bounce back quickly from his poor Nunthorpe performance and if there is plenty of juice in the ground on Saturday, he could do just that.

Golden Horde (Clive Cox)

Three-year-olds have an excellent record in this race in recent years and Clive Cox will be hoping that the trend continues this weekend.

Golden Horde recorded his biggest career success in the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and his other top level efforts this season have been solid.

Haydock looks perfect for him and he should run a big race.

Lope Y Fernandez (Aidan O’Brien)

Placed in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Prix Jean Prat and Prix Maurice De Gheest so far this term, the Lope De Vega-colt deserves a change of luck and a win of his own.

The niggling doubt about him is whether he needs further than this six furlongs? He’ll probably be running on late again after the bird has flown one suspects.

Archer’s Dream (James Fanshawe)

Like the Tin Man, this is another horse owned by Fred Archer Racing, and this four-year-old is another likeable sort.

Archer’s Dream scored over course and distance on his latest start on soft ground and he has to come into the reckoning should Haydock conditions turn out like that again.

Forever In Dreams (Aidan Fogarty)

Aidan Fogarty’s star filly Forever In Dreams could well be the forgotten horse in Saturday’s feature race.

A former Listed prize winner at this racecourse, Forever In Dreams comes into this event on the back of a couple of great races this season at the Curragh with the most notable of those being her close second to Glen Shiel in the Phoenix Stakes.

The four-year-old looks well overpriced.

Queen Jo Jo (Kevin Ryan)

Kevin Ryan’s grey filly ran a fine second in the City Of York Stakes earlier this month and she also finished second here in Listed company back in June.

She will have to prove herself at this level but she could well be a contender.

Sprint Cup: 888 Prediction

A really hot renewal but Hello Youmzain looks a gutsy enough horse to battle his way to victory again.

Each-way punters should look no further than Forever In Dreams who looks well poised to do herself justice.

888sport suggests: Hello Youmzain and Forever In Dreams.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jae C. Hong / AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 3rd September 2020

About the Author See all Steve Mullington Articles
Steve Mullington
Steve Mullington

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.