Betfair Sprint Cup 2020: Horse-by-horse guide to the contenders

Brando
He’s eight now and is just beginning to show signs of regression despite being a standing dish in this type of race for many years. Slowly away in the Darley July Cup, he ran on well for sixth considering his start, but he showed very little last time out when trainer Kevin Ryan felt compelled to step him up to seven furlongs for just the third time in his career. Ran well without winning in this race in his pomp and that’s likely the best he can hope for on Saturday.

Dream Of Dreams
Five times he has raced at the elite level and five times he has been beaten, but those reverses include two narrow second places in the Diamond Jubilee. Looked better than ever last time out when bolting up by seven lengths in the Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs and it’s partly that exceptional performance as to why he’s favourite here. Disappointing eighth in this last year when 9/2 co-favourite and he just looks a bit too short, doesn’t he?

Glen Shiel
A builder, an ex-policeman and a kitchen company owner are amongst the 12 that make up the Hambleton Racing syndicate that own Glen Shiel, a horse with as myriad a profile as those that pay the bills for him. The Pivotal gelding started life out in France for 24-time champion trainer Andre Fabre and the genius French handler thought this horse a middle-distance performer. Indeed, he was a head second over 10 furlongs in a Listed race in 2017. Archie Watson has transformed him into a sprinter, though, he’s three from five over six furlongs this season and he won’t mind the soft ground. Hollie Doyle, going for her first Group One, takes the ride.

Hello Youmzain
Jockey Kevin Stott reckons his mount Hello Youmzain should be favourite and it’s hard to argue with that. The Kodiac colt came of age when winning this race last year, he looked as good as ever when winning this season’s Diamond Jubilee and he looked in rude health when just losing out to Space Blues by three-quarters-of-a-length in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last time out. A soft ground Sprint Cup looks much more his bag than the Darley July Cup in which he was an outpaced fifth and, all-in-all, he sets the standard.

Summerghand
A six-year-old with 43 runs under his belt, it’s a testament to David O’Meara’s abilities as a trainer that this horse has found further and serious improvement this season. His Stewards’ Cup win off a mark of 108 gives him a form chance in this and the cheekpieces that were fitted for the first time that day look to have unlocked even more out of the Lope De Vega gelding. Last weekend his run in the Listed Hopeful Stakes can be upgraded as the relatively slow gallop didn’t suit and he was the only one who got involved from off the pace. Versatile ground-wise, he’s an interesting outsider.

Tabdeed
A lightly-raced and improving five-year-old for Sheikh Hamdan and Owen Burrows who put in a career-best performance to win the bet365 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury last time out. With possibly even more to come he has a chance, but the one concern is the ground as he was disappointing on soft in the Group 3 John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes at Ascot last October. Was two lengths behind Glen Shiel in a Newcastle handicap at the end of June when giving that rival 3lb and beat The Tin Man and Summerghand at Newbury last time.

The Tin Man
Terrific veteran sprinter who has a fine record in this race. He was second in 2016, third in 2017, won it in 2018 and was second last year after stumbling out of the stalls. He ran like he needed the run in the Diamond Jubilee and came on for it significantly when narrowly going down to Tabdeed in the aforementioned Hackwood Stakes. There are no ground worries for him and with Oisin Murphy riding Dream Of Dreams he has a new jockey in Andrea Atzeni, the pilot switch (to Murphy from Tom Queally) doing wonders for him in this race two years ago.

Art Power
Another sprinter by top sire of speed Dark Angel and had a fantastic start to the campaign, winning at Newcastle, Royal Ascot and Naas when progressing from novice company to a top handicap to a Group 3. The step to Group 1 level proved beyond him in the Coolmore Nunthorpe last time but he just looked to be taken off his feet in that unique test of speed and this race could suit him much better. He’s proven over the trip having won in Ireland over six and he won’t mind the ground, while three-year-olds, getting 2lb on the weight-for-age scale, have won five of the last six renewals.

Golden Horde
Proved himself a juvenile out of the very top drawer last season when winning the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood before he went down by just a neck to Earthlight in the Group 1 Middle Park. Kicked on this season by landing the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on his seasonal reappearance but has come unstuck against his elders the last twice in the Darley July Cup and then the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest. Six-and-a-half furlongs seemed to stretch his stamina at Deauville and soft ground at Haydock is a worry (wasn’t at his best when encountering heavy ground when third in last year’s Darley Prix Morny).

Lope Y Fernandez
If you’d written a list of things Ryan Moore would be doing this weekend a few days ago, watching repeats of The Masked Singer would’ve ranked more highly than riding Lope Y Fernandez in the Sprint Cup. A swift change of procedure thanks to a plea from Horse Racing Ireland to the Irish government sees Moore back in action, though, and his mount has shown improvement in his last two starts at Deauville over a bit further. On a flat six furlongs he has a bit to prove and the softest ground he’ll have ever encountered will have to spark a few pounds of improvement if he’s to get involved.

Archer’s Dream
Seemingly second string for The Tin Man’s connections and she has plenty to find strictly on the formbook. The daughter of Dream Ahead is improving, though, and her three best performances of her career have come on soft or heavy ground. They include her win over Snazzy Jazzy and Brad The Brief at Haydock last time, form that was boosted by the third at Newmarket, so she’s unexposed, improving and has her ideal conditions at a track she likes. Still, she has a lot to find.

Forever In Dreams
Another filly by Dream Ahead and this one has more experience thanks to some very solid performances, mostly in defeat, over the last two years. Her best effort this season came in first-time cheekpieces in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes where she was a head second to Speak In Colours on yielding ground at the Curragh. Her last win was nine starts ago, at Haydock, but she was a well beaten eight-length 10th in this contest last year.

Queen Jo Jo
Kevin Ryan’s third runner is yet another very good sprinter off his seemingly endless production line. Second to Liberty Beach on her first run for a year at Haydock in June, she bettered that form when beating Breathtaking Look to the Group 3 William Hill Summer Fillies Stakes at York in July, a win that’s earned her a crack at an even higher level. Third to Safe Voyage in the Group 2 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes back on the Knavesmire over seven last time out, this is her first crack at a Group 1 and she has her ideal conditions at a track she likes, but she’s another that has to find another gear to trouble the best of these.

Ben Linfoot’s Verdict

1. ART POWER
2. Hello Youmzain
3. Summerghand

The three-year-old ART POWER can strike yet another blow for the Classic generation, who have come to dominate this race in recent years, back up in trip on ideal ground at a track that should suit. He looks well worth forgiving his Nunthorpe blip in a more suitable test. Hello Youmzain sets the standard and can go down on his sword in second, while a solid gallop can see the thriving outsider Summerghand get involved late.