Star Quality

Saturday's G1 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock offers a telling clash of the generations and sexes, with the older brigade's Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) taken on by the 3-year-old fillies Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Dancing Star (GB) (Aqlaam {GB}). The latter is perhaps the most fascinating contender, having emulated the Stewards' Cup victory of her relative Lochsong (GB) at Goodwood last time July 30. Whereas that stellar sprinter spent the rest of her season in handicaps after that win, trainer Andrew Balding is pitching Jeff Smith's latest notable homebred into the deep end straightaway. “She had a little break after Goodwood for 10 days. She did her last serious piece of work last week and worked again on Saturday and we were really happy with her so we decided to supplement,” he explained. “She's a high-class filly with a great attitude. We're very lucky to have had some of Jeff's great fillies and this is very much a female family, Lochangel and Lochsong being the stars of the show, but hopefully she can carry on that tradition, obviously she's got a fair way to go to be anywhere near what Lochsong achieved. Lochangel was a similar type and at the same age she ended up in group one company so we're very hopeful she is a pattern-race filly in the making.”
For so long one of the highest-regarded sprinters in training, Limato lost nothing in defeat to Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and beat everything else comprehensively in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 19. His prior run when the impressive winner of the G1 July Cup over this trip at Newmarket July 9 places him firmly near the top of the sprinting leagues of recent times, but he needs no more rain. “Limato looks like he has recovered from the Nunthorpe, but we won't know until he runs,” trainer Henry Candy commented. “I've been told to expect 4mm of rain Friday and the same again on Saturday, so I'm hoping it's just genuine good ground.”
Quiet Reflection was third in the July Cup, having captured the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock May 28 and G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 17, and trainer Karl Burke believes there is improvement to come. “She's in great form. She did her final piece of work on Tuesday morning, just a strong breeze over five furlongs and she seems on top of her game,” he said. “I was keen to give her a couple of easy weeks, which she's had, and she put on 15 kilos in those two weeks she was off. We've had plenty to work at to get it back down and she's bang on her racing weight again now.”
The Tin Man, who was only eighth when strongly fancied in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot June 18, rebounded when winning the G3 Hackwood S. in the manner of a high-class sprinter over this trip at Newbury July 16 and trainer James Fanshawe knows what it takes to make a mark in these affairs. “[The 2012 Haydock Sprint Cup winner] Society Rock was sometimes like a stick of dynamite, really explosive, whereas The Tin Man is very chilled and never shows you a great deal at home,” he said. “He's a very exciting horse when he is right, but he gives you absolutely no clues whatsoever at home. For him, I was pleased with how he worked at the weekend. He quickened up nicely, looks well and is in good form with himself. This year hasn't been smooth with him, there's always been a niggle along the way. Despite that he has done very well and hopefully he can progress again. We purposely missed the July Cup and then he was really good when winning the Hackwood. It was a Group Three, rather than a Group One, but he came from last to first and was pretty exciting. That's his style–the main thing is that he gets a bit of cover and relaxes.”
Another who is relatively unexposed is the 3-year-old Donjuan Triumphant (Ire) (Dream Ahead), who took last year's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and was runner-up in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over 6 1/2 furlongs at Deauville last time Aug. 7. Owning syndicate Middleham Park Racing's racing manager Tim Palin said, “It's a very competitive sprint, but our form is right up there with the best of them. You'd hope you'd go there very competitive if the ground was right for us.”