 |
 |
|
Weatherbys Super Sprint |
| racingbetter information |
daily updates and |
| CALL 090 66 421034 Calls cost £1.00 per minute at all times |
59 Go Forward for Weatherbys Super Sprint
04/07/07
A total of 59 horses remain after the forfeit stage (Tuesday, July 3) for the £135,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint, which takes place at Newbury on Saturday, July 21.
The lucrative five-furlong contest offers fantastic
rewards to classy juveniles that were shrewdly purchased at a bargain
price from the previous season’s yearling sales in the UK and Ireland
at Tattersalls, Goffs, Doncaster and Ascot.
The Weatherbys Super Sprint carries a first-place prize of £77,908 and offers prize money down to 10th place. The race is restricted to horses which were bought for 37,000 guineas or less before July 1, 2006, or for 40,000 guineas after June 30, 2006.
The Ed Vaughan-trained Fanatical won on her debut over six furlongs at Newbury on June 9 and belied her 16,000 guineas purchase price when beaten under three lengths in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20.
The Newmarket handler revealed today: “The Weatherbys Super Sprint is the target. There’s a possibility that we’ll make an entry for the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket but my feeling is that I’d prefer to go straight to Newbury.
“She was only beaten two and three-quarter lengths in eighth at Ascot and she ran a great race. I thought about running her in the Albany Stakes but I think we made the right decision because the ground was softer on that day.
“I think over five furlongs she could probably get away with a bit of ease in the ground. I don’t think it’s too much of a factor but obviously I’d prefer to keep her on what she’s run best on, which is good or faster.
“I think the race will really suit her so I’d be hopeful of a big run. She has 8st 3lb and I’m happy with that as she’s a little filly who’ll appreciate a lighter weight.”
The 59 acceptors are headed by the Jamie Osborne-trained Drawnfromthepast, a 36,000 guineas Doncaster yearling, who scored a head verdict over Kingsgate Native in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19, and is top-weight with 9st 7lb due to being the most expensively bought horse in the race.
Last year’s victor, the Sylvester Kirk-trained Elhamri, also took the Weatherbys Super Sprint after securing the same Royal Ascot Listed contest.
Weights are determined according to sale price with an allowance awarded of one pound for each 2,500 guineas paid under 40,000 guineas.
Elhamri (28,000 guineas yearling) and Drawnfromthepast are relatively expensive buys when compared with the speedy 2000 winner Superstar Leo, who cost connections a mere 3,400 guineas at Tattersalls in 1999, or the 2001 heroine Good Girl who was an Ir£9,000 guineas purchase at Goffs.
William Haggas saddled Superstar Leo and he could run the unraced Acclamation colt Mandelieu (8st 13lb) this year.
The inaugural Weatherbys Super Sprint in 1991 went to the crack sprinter Paris House, trained by Jack Berry. The following year’s renewal saw the pocket rocket Lyric Fantasy, a 12,500 guineas Doncaster yearling, take first prize after winning the Group Three Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on her previous start.
Lyric Fantasy was the first of six Richard Hannon-trained winners. Risky followed Lyric Fantasy’s lead in 1993 when also adding the contest to her Queen Mary Stakes triumph, while Miss Stamper (1996), Presto Vento (2002), If Paradise (2003) and Lady Livius (2005) complete the Hannon sextet.
Hannon has 10 juveniles still on target for the Weatherbys Super Sprint headed by the smart filly Cake (8st 2lb), who was only beaten a length and a quarter when fifth in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Hannon also has Baronovici (8st 9lb) who caught the eye when a close second on his sole start at Windsor on June 11, Haydock maiden winner Little Big Boy (8st 7lb), Don’t Tell Anna (8st 8lb), Farthermost (8st 4lb), Penrice Castle (8st), Ronsai (7st 13lb), the useful Cracking (9st 2lb), Reel Gift (8st 11lb) and Tina’s Best (8st 6lb).
Bryan Smart saddled Don Puccini to victory in 1999 and this year he could rely on 14,000 guineas buy Guertino (8st 7lb). The Choisir colt landed a six-furlong Carlisle maiden auction in good style on June 18.
Rod Millman is another trainer who knows what it takes to capture the Weatherbys Super Sprint, having taken the prize with Lord Kintyre in 1997. The Devon handler has the speedy Chester five-furlong maiden winner Brassini (8st 8lb).
Neville Callaghan could run Red Alert Day (9st 3lb) who was third to subsequent Group Two Coventry Stakes third Luck Money on his only outing to date at Newmarket in May, while the Dean Ivory-trained Ellemujie (8st 6lb) won nicely over six furlongs at Kempton on June 13.
The John Jenkins-trained Spitfire (8st 9lb) made a good impression when winning both his starts, at Warwick and Yarmouth in May, easily defeating the Clive Brittain-trained Group Two Norfolk Stakes ninth Jebel Tara (8st 9lb) on the latter occasion.
Brittain also has Mansii (8st 11lb) and the unraced Never Lose (7st 12lb), while his northern-based namesake Mel Brittain has Straight (8st 5lb).
Victorian Bounty (8st 5lb) followed a debut fourth to Drawnfromthepast with victory over five furlongs at Musselburgh on June 9. The colt’s trainer Eoghan O’Neill also has the unraced 4,000 guineas Doncaster buy Only A Game (8st 3lb).
North Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan is well represented with five horses remaining. Mazzanti (8st 12lb) won a Musselburgh maiden on June 25, while Rievaulx Valentino (8st 10lb), Kamal (9st 1lb), Smileforawhile (9st) and Eastern Romance (8st 8lb) complete the trainer’s complement.
Dubai Dynamo (8st 4lb) was no match for Henrythenavigator
in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot but had previously won
a Goodwood maiden and is one of two Stan Moore-trained horses remaining,
the other being Group Three Albany Stakes also-ran Miss Versatile (7st
13lb).
Whitsbury trainer Ralph Beckett has the once-raced Lingfield maiden winner Swallow Star (8st 1lb) alongside Maddy (7st 11lb) who was fifth on her sole start at the same course.
The Mark Johnston-trained Gin Genereux (8st 9lb) broke his duck at Hamilton on June 20, Thunder Bay (8st 6lb) and Maiden Miss (8st 2lb) could represent trainer Mick Channon, and the David Barron-trained Charlotti Carlotti (8st 5lb) won well at Ayr on June 22.
The remaining Irish entry is the Kevin Prendergast-trained Rose Rouge (8st 5lb) who was fourth on her only start at Naas on June 27.
The confirmation stage for the Weatherbys Super Sprint is noon on Monday, July 16, 2007.
