A vintage renewal of the £260,000 G1 32Red Sprint Cup is in prospect with 20 confirmations going forward today.
The six-furlong contest, which forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, takes place at 4.10pm at Haydock Park on Saturday, September 9.
The warm 7/4 favourite with sponsor 32Red is Harry Angel (Clive Cox), who was last seen out when winning the G1 Darley July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket on July 15 by a length and a quarter from the 2016 July Cup winner Limato (Henry Candy, 8/1).
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old Dark Angel colt is also a course and distance winner this season, having broken the course record in the G2 Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park on May 27.
Godolphin, successful in the 32Red Sprint Cup with Diktat in 1999, is also set to be represented by Blue Point (Charlie Appleby, 7/1) who got the better of Harry Angel by a length and a half in the G3 Pavilion Stakes at Ascot in May before finishing a place behind the same rival when the pair were second and third respectively to Caravaggio (Aidan O'Brien, 8/1) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June.
Caravaggio was subsequently fourth in the July Cup and sixth to Brando (Kevin Ryan, 5/1) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over an extended six furlongs at Deauville on August 6. Aidan O'Brien has also left in Washington DC (20/1), Spirit Of Valor (20/1), Cougar Mountain (50/1) and Intelligence Cross (50/1) as he chases a first 32Red Sprint Cup success.
Limato's trainer Henry Candy has twice captured the 32Red Sprint Cup, with Markab in 2010 and Twilight Son in 2015.
Newmarket-based James Fanshawe landed the honours in the 2012 renewal with Society Rock and has another leading contender this year in The Tin Man (8/1). The five-year-old is a dual G1 winner over six furlongs at Ascot, having landed the 2016 QIPCO British Champions Sprint and the 2017 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. His most recent start came when eighth to Harry Angel in the Darley July Cup.
Fanshawe reported today: "The Tin Man is fine. He worked on Saturday and we are looking forward to running him in the 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock Park.
"I don't think he wants extremes of going, but we wouldn't mind a drop of rain ahead of Saturday.
"He is in good form. I don't want to make excuses for his last run when obviously he didn't run so well. We just want to get him back on track at Haydock this weekend."
Hamdan Al Maktoum's Tasleet (William Haggas, 7/1) is ready to take his chance as he also bids to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Darley July Cup.
The four-year-old was a revelation earlier in the season on his return to six furlongs, storming to victory in the G2 Duke Of York Stakes in May on soft ground before a neck second to The Tin Man in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He was well below that level behind Harry Angel in July Cup, fading to last of the 10 runners having raced keenly.
Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said today: "We gave Tasleet a bit of a break after Newmarket.
"Although he has never handled Newmarket particularly well, he was too keen in the July Cup and did not finish his race out. He just wasn't himself.
"I think on his best form he should run a very decent race in the 32Red Sprint Cup. He proved at York and Ascot that he is a very good horse and, if there is a bit of ease in the ground, he won't mind it.
"Whether he is good enough to beat Harry Angel and Brando, we will have to wait and see, but he is definitely in the mix."
Hamdan Al Maktoum is seeking a second 32Red Sprint Cup success, having seen his famous colours carried to victory by the outstanding Dayjur in 1990.
Another interesting contender is Magical Memory (Charlie Hills, 12/1), third in the 2015 running of the 32Red Sprint Cup and fourth to Brando last time out in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Jason Fildes, General Manager, Haydock Park Racecourse, commented: "We are all set for a vintage renewal of the 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock Park on Saturday.
"The contest looks set to be a real clash of the generations with a strong three-year-old challenge including Harry Angel, who recorded an outstanding victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes here at Haydock Park earlier in the season plus Blue Point and Caravaggio set to meet the cream of the older generation, led by Brando, Tasleet, The Tin Man and Limato.
"Whoever comes out on top in the 32Red Sprint must have strong claims to be the champion sprinter of 2017."
Tony Calvin, representative for sponsor 32Red, commented: "With five G1 winners among the five-day entries, as well as a host of other G2 scorers, this promises to be the best renewal of the 32Red Sprint Cup for many a year.
"Harry Angel is the deserved favourite at 7/4, but there is no shortage of opposition and it wouldn't surprise me if he drifted as the race approached."
