Sprint Cup Tips & Odds

The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 contest over six furlongs, which is run at Haydock Park in September. You can view the latest odds for the race here a little closer to the time.

Sprint Cup Tips

This is a seriously deep looking race with chances aplenty, but we are keen on the claims of ELITE STATUS for Karl Burke following an interrupted but unbeaten season at three when he looks to have finally filled out into his frame.

What is the Sprint Cup?

The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 race run over a trip of six furlongs at Haydock Park in Lancashire each September.

One of the key races of the season for sprinters, and the penultimate leg of the Sprint section of the British Champions Series, the Sprint Cup has been a Group 1 since 1988 and is now an established and important part of the fixture list for the fastest horses in training. The race is open to horses aged three and above and has been won by some stellar names in recent years, including Dream Ahead, Harry Angel and The Tin Man.

What happened in the 2023 Sprint Cup?

Ed Bethell's Regional fought off a spirited effort from Shouldvebeenaring in a thrilling renewal of the Sprint Cup in 2023, as hot favourite Shaquille flopped.

The history of the Sprint Cup

The Sprint Cup regularly attracts the key players from the sprinting division that season, and the key protagonists from the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, the July Cup and the Commonwealth Cup regularly take their chance here.

First run in 1966, the race was originally open to two-year-old horses and above, but two-year-olds were eventually excluded in 1994. Run on the straight track at Haydock, the Sprint Cup offers a stern six-furlong test and was won by three-year-old horses four years on the bounce between 2014-2017.

Who is the most iconic winner of the Sprint Cup?

The Sprint Cup roll of honour is a fantastic one with some excellent names etching themselves into history. Only one horse has won the race on more than one occasion, Be Friendly, who won the first two editions of the race in 1966 and 1967 and now has a stand at the course named in his honour.

Since then we have seen some excellent names add their names to the roll of honour, with Danehill a stand-out name in 1989 before he became a future champion sire for Prince Khalid Abdullah. More recently we have seen Dream Ahead and Harry Angel impress in winning at Haydock and it will be fascinating to see who can win this year.

Are there any trials for the Sprint Cup?

There are no trial races as such for the Sprint Cup, but punters are well advised to follow the sprint programme through the summer for an idea of potential runners at Haydock.

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes over 6f at Royal Ascot is one such race to follow, as is the July Cup at Newmarket over the same distance with both of those Group 1 races likely to feature the best in the business at the trip, while the main three-year-old contenders tend to run in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Who is the most successful jockey in the Sprint Cup?

The Sprint Cup has been won by some legendary jockeys over the years, with four of them having recorded three wins in the race each. Bruce Raymond, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery and Lester Piggott are all tied on that number and it will be interesting to see if a modern-day rider can match them.

Who is the most successful trainer in the Sprint Cup?

John Dunlop is the man at the top of the tree when it comes to the Sprint Cup, training four wins during his career. Dunlop won the race with Runnett (1981), Habibti (1983), Lavinia Fontana (1994) and Invincible Spirit (2002).