Hi all,
In today’s main piece, I’ll share my thoughts on Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup. It promised solid racing, and while the quality wasn’t top-notch, the competitive Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock and Kalpana's star performance in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton stood out.
Betfair Sprint Cup: A Snapshot of the Sprint Division
The Betfair Sprint Cup, with its 16 runners and only 5 lengths separating the first 9, resembled a handicap rather than a Group 1 race. Fittingly, Montassib, who was winning a York handicap just 11 months ago, took the victory.
Montassib’s switch to 6f last autumn has clearly paid off. In Wednesday’s preview, I noted that he’d thrive with a fast pace and soft ground. He got the pace but not the softer conditions, which even trainer William Haggas acknowledged—explaining why Montassib drifted out to 25/1.
A Race Shaped by Draw/Pace Bias
The fast pace favoured both Montassib and runner-up Kind Of Blue, who for a moment looked like the winner but Montassib edged ahead in the final strides. There will be more opportunities for Kind Of Blue next season.
The race had a strong draw/pace bias. The top five were drawn in stalls 2-5-6-4-8. Swingalong, drawn in stall 7, did best of those with a double-digit draw, running down the stands' rail but with the main action coming down the middle.
Wokingham Handicap winner Unequal Love finished third, securing a solid 1-3 for Haggas. On quicker ground, Unequal Love might have won.
Vadream’s fourth-place finish drags down the form, given her OR of 102. Meanwhile, the well-backed favourite Inisherin was a big disappointment, fading quickly for a second consecutive poor run.
Montassib’s victory highlights the openness of the British and Irish sprint divisions. None of the top four in the betting managed to finish in the first six. That says a lot about this race—you could run it five times and likely get a different result each time. That said, Montassib will be hard to beat in next month’s British Champions Sprint at Ascot, especially if the ground is soft.
Kalpana Shines in September Stakes
While Montassib impressed, the day’s star performer was Kalpana, who took the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton. After winning the Listed Glasgow Stakes, she took another big step forward in Saturday’s race. In a slowly run contest, Kalpana quickened up well in the final furlong and surged clear to beat Lion’s Pride by 4 ½ lengths.
She’s now the 4/1 favourite for the Group 1 Fillies & Mares race at Ascot on Champions' Day. Her connections may even consider aiming for the Arc. As a 3-year-old filly, Kalpana would benefit from the allowances and has hit form at the perfect time. If Longchamp’s ground stays good, it might be worth taking the chance. Still, Ascot seems more likely, though owners Juddmonte already have Bluestocking aimed at that race.
Punting Perspective:
Master Builder was my highlight, though I regretted not making a maximum bet on the progressive 3-year-old. I also kicked myself for deserting The Reverend, who won easily at Ascot. I backed Clovis Hitch over Holloway Boy in the Group 3 Superior Mile at Haydock, a choice I now regret. Still, not as frustrating as missing out on The Reverend.
I switched from Epic Poet to Oneforthegutter in the Old Borough Cup because the latter offered better value on Friday. I had been with Epic Poet in the Ebor Handicap and had said in this column after his Ebor effort; “there’s still a nice handicap in him”. Ok, I ignored my own advice but hopefully readers didn’t. No real complaints, though, as my other pick, Waxing Gibbous, finished a game second.
Overall, Saturday was a bit frustrating with a couple of winners slipping through my fingers. However, all my lays came in, so I can’t complain too much.
Monday Racing
Is there a racecourse in the country with worse prize money than Brighton? Of the seven races on Monday’s card, not one offers more than £5,000 to the winner.
Back in 1990, this fixture drew 2,854 paying customers. Last year, that number dropped to 942, and it’s likely to be even lower this year. It’s a shame, as Brighton offers great views, and on a nice day, few places are better for watching racing.
For those following the ‘lay or play' qualifiers, there’s one on Monday.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John