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Ballydoyle ‘Star’ Can Land Haydock’s Sprint Cup
02/09/10

The Aidan O’Brien trained Starspangledbanner heads the betting of 16 runners entered in the Group One, Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday and judging by the form shown by Ballydoyle’s Australian import in four starts on British soil so far this season, looks set to take all the beating. As such, bookmakers aren’t taking any chances with some as short as 6/4 about the four year old son of Choisir to land his third Group One win of the year.

Not best known for training top class sprinters, Aidan O’Brien clearly had a plan when he purchased Starspangledbanner from Australian trainer, Leon Corstens, back in March. Rated as the best sprinter in the Southern Hemisphere, the intention for Starspangledbanner was to retire him to Stud as part of Ballydoyle’s Coolmore operation but the decision to race him in some of Britain’s most valuable sprints during the summer has highly proved profitable for connections, winning both the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket. He finished second in York’s Nunthorpe Stakes last time out behind 100/1 outsider Sole Power who had gone too far in front by the time Johnny Murtagh asked Starspangledbanner to go for home, which, to his credit he did impressively but just failed to reel in the winner.

The Betfred Sprint Cup provides the perfect opportunity for Starspangledbanner to make amends for his misfortune on the Knavesmire and victory at Haydock would confirm his position as Europe’s top sprinter and would cause his connections a headache about where to send him next but an entry in Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II stakes at the end of September suggest he could be stepped up in trip and tried over one mile for the first time in his career. If he proved a match for the best milers around, which this season include the mightily impressive Canford Cliffs, 2000 Guineas winner Makfi and fellow Aidan O’Brien inmate and ever consistent Rip Van Winkle; Starspangledbanner cannot be ruled out for a tilt at the Breeders Cup Mile for which he is currently a 7/1 chance. However, if eight furlongs proves too much, the he can always revert to running in the Breeders Cup Sprint, either way, his season looks sure to finish at Churchill Downs on 6th November.

Favourites don’t have a great record in the Sprint Cup in recent years, with only two of the last ten jollies obliging in the feature race of Haydock’s flat season but both of those have come in the last four renewals of the race and Starspangledbanner will be looking to make it three favourites in five years. The main danger to the favourite on Saturday according to the betting odds comes in the form of last year’s winner, Regal Parade, who bids to become the first back to back winner of the race since Be Friendly in 1967 and the Dandy Nichols trained runner couldn’t be coming in to the race in better form after winning the Group One, Maurice De Gheest, in France last month but Starspangledbanner backers will be confident that he can confirm superiority over Regal Parade, who finished 16th when the O’Brien star won the Golden Jubilee.

Apart from the two principles, it is 10/1 the field about the remaining 14 runners and of those at bigger odds, trusty Borderlescott could give each way backers a run for their money. Having run in a total of 24 class one races during his six year racing career, Robin Bastiman’s eight year old has finished placed on 16 occasions, his last win coming back in July when landing the Group Two King George Stakes at Goodwood, proving he is by no means past his best. He has won over course and distance at Haydock and if putting his best foot forward on Saturday, will prove a match for any of his rivals.

Despite trying to make arguments for several of the entries in the Betfred Sprint Cup, the race really does revolve around just the one horse. If Starspangledbanner does justify his favourite tag, he will undoubtedly be regarded as one of the best sprinters seen in recent years and it will be interesting to see if O’Brien sticks to his original plan to retire the Colt to stud at the end of the season or continue to race him in 2011.