Betfair Sprint Cup 2026: result and reaction

By RB Editor · Updated: September 5, 2026

Almeraq bounced back from a flat July Cup to blow away his rivals at Haydock, exactly a year after the fall that ended Jim Crowley’s career.

A jockey in blue and white silks raises a fist in celebration astride a bay horse, with an inset image of the finishing sprint below; banner text reads "Sprint Cup 2026: The Result — Almeraq takes the spoils at Haydock"

Almeraq justified his position at the top of the market, powering to a four-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock. The 9/4 favourite, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, left his below-par July Cup effort firmly behind him. It was a dominant display over the testing six furlongs.

It follows on from our verdict earlier today, which named him the pick of the field.

How the race panned out

Last year’s winner Big Mojo set the early pace alongside Marvelman, and the race began to get serious two furlongs out. Paborus travelled sweetly and arrived on the scene to challenge. But as soon as Almeraq began to assert under Marquand, it was effectively over.

The favourite turned on the afterburners to win by four and a quarter lengths. Paborus was a further four and three-quarter lengths clear of Big Mojo in third.

Reaction

“That was pretty impressive stuff,” said Marquand, who had barely needed to ride the four-year-old.

The result carries extra resonance for connections. Almost exactly a year ago, Almeraq suffered a heavy fall in York’s Garrowby Stakes. The incident ultimately ended the career of his then-jockey Jim Crowley.

Twelve months on, with Marquand now in the saddle, the horse returned to the same weekend of the calendar to land a Group 1.

What it means going forward

The result adds another line to a race with a strong recent record for favourites: seven of the last twenty runnings went to the market leader. The biggest recent shock, Montassib at 25/1 for William Haggas and Cieren Fallon in 2024, was a reminder that Haydock can still produce a surprise. Today’s result, with the 9/4 favourite winning comfortably, extends that pattern rather than breaking it.

It was also a good day for our own coverage: our verdict picked out Almeraq as the one to beat, with Paborus flagged among the each-way alternatives, and both ran into the frame.

For William Haggas, it is a second Sprint Cup success following Montassib’s win in 2024. No target has yet been confirmed for Almeraq. A tilt at the autumn’s sprint championship races would be a logical next step. The horse is now unbeaten in two starts at the highest level this season, following his win in June’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Full result

Pos	Horse	SP	Margin	Jockey	Trainer
1st	Almeraq	9/4f	—	Tom Marquand	W J Haggas
2nd	Paborus	5/1	4¼	D Tudhope	E Bethell
3rd	Big Mojo	9/1	4¾	W Buick	M Appleby
4th	James’s Delight	28/1	1	C Lee	C G Cox
5th	Kind Of Blue	4/1	hd	James Doyle	J R Fanshawe
6th	Aramram	33/1	½	S M Levey	R Hannon
7th	Coppull	7/1	3¼	H Crouch	C G Cox
8th	Marvelman	5/1	2¾	P J McDonald	A M Balding