Maintaining Perfection

With all of Britain’s Global Sprint Challenge and Group 1 sprint races in 2014 won by the Power-Lynam duo of Slade Power (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) and Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), today’s G1 Haydock Sprint Cup is next in line for the latter as he bids to back up his recent success in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 22. Sabena Power’s 7-year-old was adding that five-furlong feature to his prior success over that trip in Royal Ascot’s G1 King’s Stand S. June 17, and it remains to be seen whether he can transfer that brilliance over this extra furlong. Surprisingly still without a win at this trip, the veteran has been sparely campaigned at it with his last four tries resulting in contrasting results. Only 12th in this in 2011, the bay was ninth in that year’s G1 Hong Kong Sprint, fifth in last year’s G1 July Cup and second to Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the latest renewal of the Hong Kong Sprint. “It’s a shame Slade Power couldn’t make it, but the fastest horse in the world isn’t a bad super-sub,” commented the owner’s son Paddy Power. “Some pundits reckon he’s better over five furlongs, but he would have won the Hong Kong Sprint over six if he hadn’t met a monster horse.” Last year’s impressive winner Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) finds different underfoot conditions as he defends his title and bids to emulate the only dual winner Be Friendly (GB), who captured the first two runnings in 1966 and 1967. Slade Power’s rider Wayne Lordan is on board due to the likely favorite’s absence and Joseph O’Brien’s decision to ride Cougar Mountain (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Trainer Tom Hogan believes he has Gordon Lord Byron back to his best after a latest second in the G3 Renaissance S. at The Curragh Aug. 23. “He suffered a bit of a back injury at Royal Ascot which he had to be medicated for, and he also had some issues with his feet, but they are all sorted now,” said Hogan. “He is ready for a winter campaign in some far-flung places and Saturday is his first task. He has loads of international invites, but we will take a decision about where he goes after Saturday–he should just be reaching his peak now at the age of six.” Despite having raced only three times, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier’s Cougar Mountain has contested two Group 1s, with a close-up fifth in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 12 preceding a ninth in the Nunthorpe. Joseph O’Brien said, “He came out of York quite well–he ran very well there and was only beaten two lengths in one of the fastest and biggest sprints in the world on his third ever start. He ran a blinder in the July Cup before that and worked very nicely the other morning, so there’s no doubt he has a chance. The track, the trip and the ground and all should suit.” Henry Candy is no stranger to success in these type of contests and saddles Godfrey Wilson’s July 19 G3 Hackwood S. scorer Music Master (GB) (Piccolo {GB}), while a newblood among the training ranks Olly Stevens puts forward Extortionist (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). Another who has yet to score over six furlongs, Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani’s 3-year-old took the July 5 G3 Sandown Sprint S. before running second in Goodwood’s G2 King George S. at the start of the month and third in the Nunthorpe. “We’d always wondered about going six with him, and Ryan [Moore] came back after the Nunthorpe saying we definitely want to go six and now’s the time,” Stevens commented. “He didn’t look out of place in that company last time. The more the ground dries up the better.” 

Saturday, Haydock, Britain, post time: 3:50 p.m. 
BETFRED SPRINT CUP-G1, £273,000, 3yo/up, 6fT 
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT 
1 4 Baccarat (Ire) Dutch Art (GB) Baker Fahey 129 
2 2 Caspar Netscher (GB) Dutch Art (GB) Gibbons Simcock 129 
3 1 Dinkum Diamond (Ire) Aussie Rules Curtis Candy 129 
4 8 Es Que Love (Ire) Clodovil (Ire) Kirby Cox 129 
5 18 Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) Byron (GB) Lordan Hogan 129 
6 3 Maarek (GB) Pivotal (GB) McDonogh McCutchn 129 
7 11 Moviesta K Hard Spun Mulrennan Smart 129 
8 13 Music Master (GB) Piccolo (GB) O’Neill Candy 129 
9 16 Pearl Secret (GB) Comptn Place (GB) Murphy Barron 129 
10 15 Professor (GB) Byron (GB) Hayes Hannon 129 
11 9 Sole Power (GB) Kyllachy (GB) Hughes Lynam 129 
12 12 Tropics K Speightstown Winston Ivory 129 
13 14 Astaire (Ire) Intense Focus A Ryan K Ryan 127 
14 6 Cougar Mountain (Ire) Fastnet Rock (Aus) J O’Brien A O’Brien 127 
15 7 Extortionist (Ire) Dandy Man (Ire) Smullen Stevens 127 
16 10 G Force (Ire) Tamayuz (GB) Tudhope O’Meara 127 
17 17 Hot Streak (Ire) Iffraaj (GB) Spencer K Ryan 127