It Ain't Two has an 'almighty advantage' - analysis and key quotes for £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint

The Super Sprint is a wonderful opportunity for smaller owners to earn big cash. Royal Ascot's juvenile sprints rightly carry greater prestige, but the Super Sprint’s purse dwarfs them all.

As is customary in a race where weights are determined by sales price, some horses are significantly better treated than others. It Ain’t Two is this year's beneficiary. She holds a BHA mark of 90 and receives weight from seven horses who are rated in the 60s and 70s. That is an almighty advantage.

Yet the volatility of five-furlong dashes, combined with the nature of juveniles, when major progression or regression can arrive at any moment, means we have seen several with similar profiles beaten out of sight at short odds down the years. Recent noteworthy examples include Maria Branwell (ninth in 2022) and Chipotle (ninth in 2021).

Higher-drawn runners have held sway in a major way over the last decade, and no horse has obliged from lower than stall 13 in that timeframe. That is a trend sure to be welcomed by supporters of It Ain’t Two (stall 15) and Kaadi (14). Less so for other fancied types like Time For Sandals (one), Vingegaard (four) and Mythical Composer (six).

Draw biases are susceptible to swings, however. Relief Rally won her group from stall 18 by four lengths last year when far-side runners filled the next four positions. Her class got her through rather than track position.

Trying to identify the improvers is where the great Super Sprint challenge lies and there are reasons to think we have yet to see the best from Vingegaard and Time For Sandals.

Archie Watson excels with sprinters and won this in 2022, albeit with a more battle-hardened type racing for the fifth time. Vingegaard arrives following only a maiden victory and Royal Ascot fifth in the Windsor Castle, a merit-worthy performance as he made his challenge on the wrong side.

Time For Sandals’ connections evidently target this race as they saddled last season’s third. Like Time For Sandals, that horse was appearing for just the second time.

This filly showed plenty of speed to register a smooth debut victory at Kempton and should have few issues with a drop back in trip given the likely strong pace on offer. That all-weather debut is ranked as the best in this field based on Racing Post Ratings and Richard Kingscote has got down to his lowest riding weight in 12 months.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

'She has the best form the in race'

Hugo Palmer is adamant It Ain’t Two deserves to be favourite for this £250,000 feature, but concedes the filly is “no Tiggy Wiggy”, the hugely impressive winner of the race ten years ago en route to landing the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

“At the weights, It Ain’t Two has the best form in the race,” Palmer said. “She’s in good order, I’m happy where she is drawn in stall 15 – you probably want to be high – and she has a favourite’s chance.

“I would add, though, that she’s not Tiggy Wiggy. She goes there with her chance, but I doubt she’d win the Cheveley Park, although two-year-old fillies can, of course, improve throughout the year.”

Runner-up in a Sandown Listed race last time out, It Ain’t Two, a winner at Newmarket and Carlisle, will again be partnered by championship-chasing Oisin Murphy, who continues in red-hot form.

“He’s brilliant,” said Palmer. “He’s riding better than ever.”

It Ain't Two chases home Aesterius in the Dragon Stakes at Sandown

It Ain't Two (right): chases home Aesterius in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

What they say

Clive Cox, trainer of Mythical Composer
He won nicely at Bath and looks a progressive sort. We’re happy that he has come forward again since, and stall six is fine.

Jack Jones, trainer of Caburn
I am very happy with him. This race has been the plan for a good while and I hope he'll show improvement both fitness-wise and mentally for his Salisbury win. He's drawn right down the middle, which is good. I didn’t want him in stalls one or 19.

John Quinn, joint-trainer of Jm Jhingree
Take away his last run at Catterick and you’d give him a chance. The ground will be on the easy side, which will suit. I’d say he has a good outsider’s each-way chance.

Eve Johnson Houghton, trainer of Pont Neuf and Coiled
Pont Neuf won his first two races early on and looks a nice sprinter. He had an off-day at Ascot but, if he can bounce back to his previous form, he’d have a great chance. Coiled’s form isn’t good enough to win this race, but I do think he’ll be there or thereabouts. He’s a real tough cookie, which is the sort of horse you need for the Super Sprint.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Miss Collada
We made an early decision to aim for this race, so skipped Royal Ascot, and I’ve been very happy with her since Salisbury. That race might not have worked out particularly well, but this filly is improving all the time and is on an upward trajectory. She possesses plenty of class and has every chance.

Harry Eustace, trainer of Time For Sandals
She was quite impressive first time out at Kempton. We’re dropping back in trip and it’s quite an ask for the filly, but we think she learned quite a lot on her debut and have always liked her. I hope she’ll run very well for her owners, who are keen for her to run in this race.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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