Hot favourite Shaquille heads 17 final entries in the Sprint Cup at Haydock Park

Julie Camacho's sprint star Shaquille heads 17 entries for this Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park. And trainer Henry Candy admits that his Run For Freedom, who takes on the hot favourite again, is unlikely to get the better of the 'exceptional' Shaquille.

Camacho's three-year-old – who is a best-priced 11-10 market leader with William Hill – is on course for a crack at Saturday's Group One feature on Merseyside with James Doyle back in the saddle. The Charm Spirit colt has won all four starts this season, going from a Newmarket handicap, taking the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury before then landing back-to-back Group One victories. Shaquille won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June before beating his elders, including Candy's Run For Freedom – who finished second in the Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket.

Candy has won the Sprint Cup twice in the past with Markab in 2010 and also with Run For Freedom's half-brother Twilight Son in 2019. But he is realistic enough to know Run For Freedom, who is a best-priced 18-1 with William Hill, has it all to do to reverse form with the favourite and give him a third win in the Haydock Sprint Cup, which is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

He said: “I think this is a slightly stronger renewal and Run To Freedom can’t beat Shaquille, who is exceptional, but I’ll keep trying to win a Group 1 with him. He’s from that fantastic family of Godfrey Wilson’s, which has served us so well, and I’m desperate to win one in order to make him a stallion. I’m just a little bit worried about the drying ground, but we’ll give it a go and see how we get on. He’s won on good to firm, but he prefers a little cut and Ascot next month might suit him better.”

On his previous wins in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, Candy added: “Twilight Son was unbeaten when he went to Haydock, having quickly gone through the handicap ranks. He was quite a surprise to me when he won, having won a handicap at York (off 94) the time before, but his jockey Fergus Sweeney was very confident and he was dead right. Markab also worked his way up through handicaps, having won the Great St Wilfrid the year before.”

Trainer Ralph Beckett has not declared Kinross, but will be represented by filly Lezoo, who got back to winning ways in a Listed contest at Newmarket last time out, and is a best-priced 16-1 chance with William Hill and BetVictor.

Karl Burke's Spycatcher has been declared despite owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing stating earlier in the week that their main hope would be the supplemented George Boughey-trained Believing. Spycatcher still remains a doubt, though, with Highclere's Harry Herbert saying that he may not line up if the thunderstorms which are forecast for Sunday don't arrive earlier on Merseyside. Herbert said: "We've declared but just in case the thunder, which at the moment isn't due until Sunday, somehow hits early. Speaking to Karl he said we'd be kicking ourselves if that happened and we weren't in it. It's very frustrating because the horse is in fantastic form and we'd love to run him but at this stage it is highly doubtful. We'll probably have to wait for autumn targets with Ascot on Champions Day high up the list."

Jane Chapple-Hyam's Mill Stream will also line-up having also been supplemented earlier in the week following two victories in France. Mill Stream is a general 11-1 chance.

Charlie Hills will saddle two runners in Garrus and Khaadem, who was a shock 80-1 winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at Royal Ascot. Another Royal Ascot winner, Archie Watson's Wokingham Handicap hero Saint Lawrence, is entered having been third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest recently. Ed Bethell's Regional, unbeaten in two starts at Haydock over five and six furlongs, is entered as well and is a best-priced 14-1 with William Hill, Coral and BetVictor.

Other entries among the 17 runners – the joint second biggest field in history include Sacred – second in the Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot for Andrew Balding, the Swingalong, Rohaan and Aidan O'Brien's The Antarctic. Richard Hannon's Happy Romance is the first and only reserve. In the 57 runnings of the Sprint Cup, 20 favourites have won the race with a strike-rate of 35 per cent.

Final entries for the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Group One) (British Champions Series) 6f at Haydock Park on Saturday, September 9 (3.35pm)

(No., draw, horse, age, weight, owner, trainer, jockey)

1 (6) Annaf (IRE) 4-9-5 Fosnic Racing Michael Appleby Alistair Rawlinson
2 (12) Garrus (IRE) 7-9-5 Mrs Susan Roy Charles Hills Ben Curtis
3 (8) Khaadem (IRE) 7-9-5 Mrs Fitri Hay Charles Hills Jamie Spencer
4 (13) Regional ts 5-9-5 Future Champions Racing Regional Edward Bethell Callum Rodriguez
5 (2) Rohaan (IRE) 5-9-5 Mr Kieran McCabe & Mr Paul Byrne David Evans Neil Callan
6 (15) Run To Freedom p 5-9-5 Mr Godfrey Wilson Henry Candy Trevor Whelan
7 (14) Saint Lawrence (IRE) 5-9-5 Mr DJ Deer Archie Watson Luke Morris
8 (4) Spycatcher (IRE) 5-9-5 Highclere T'BredRacing-Adriana Zaefferer KR Burke Cieren Fallon
9 (9) Mill Stream (IRE) 3-9-3 Mr PW Harris Jane Chapple-Hyam Marco Ghiani
10 (3) Rumstar 3-9-3 Vincent and Russell Ward Jonathan Portman Charles Bishop
11 (5) Shaquille h 3-9-3 Hughes, Rawlings, O'Shaughnessy Julie Camacho James Doyle
12 (10) Shouldvebeenaring 3-9-3 Middleham Park Racing XVIII Richard Hannon Sean Levey
13 (16) The Antarctic (IRE) 3-9-3 Magnier-Tabor-Smith-Westerberg-Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland
14 (7) Sacred ts,p 5-9-2 Cheveley Park Stud William Haggas Tom Marquand
15 (17) Believing (IRE) ts 3-9-0 Highclere T'bred Racing - Jane Addams George Boughey Jason Hart
16 (1) Lezoo 3-9-0 Marc Chan & Andrew Rosen Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan
17 (18) Swingalong (IRE) 3-9-0 Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum KR Burke Clifford Lee
RESERVE: 18 (11) Happy Romance (IRE) 5-9-2 The McMurray Family Richard Hannon

17 entries (one Irish-trained)

NB: The 17 declared runners for the 2023 Betfair Sprint Cup is the joint-second highest field ever. There were 19 runners in 2004, plus 17 runners in 2014 and 2005.

The going at Haydock Park is currently good. The forecast says it is likely to be dry and sunny up to and including Saturday with the outside chance of a shower.

The Sprint Cup is the feature on the final day of Haydock's September meeting. Saturday's seven-race card also features the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes and the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap. Gates open at 11.50am with the first race, the Superior Mile, due off a 1.50pm and the finale, the Extra Places Any Day With Betfair Handicap scheduled for 5.15pm. There is also a mile Arabian race, the Her Highness Bint Mubarak Cup, due off at 5.45pm. For more information and to buy tickets for the racing at Haydock – with prices starting at £27.50 in the Be Friendly Enclosure on Saturday – go online athttps://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/sprint-cup-celebration/sprint-cup-day/

For latest Betfair odds click HERE