Dry forecast raises Supremacy Sprint Cup hopes after super Saturday for stable

Clive Cox is banking on a sound surface boosting the claims of one-time flying machine Supremacy in this weekend's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock as he aims for a repeat of Saturday's remarkable exploits – a day the trainer described as one of the best of his career.

Sprint Cup entries

The former jump jockey won the Sprint Cup in 2017 with the brilliant Harry Angel and a dry week could increase the chances of Supremacy, who was Britain's best two-year-old in 2020 but has yet to hit those heights this season.

Connections have not given up on the son of Mehmas, who is among 14 possibles for Saturday's Group 1 and an 8-1 chance with Betfair even though he was a disappointing last of eight in Ascot's Pavilion Stakes before finishing down the field in the July Cup.

They make July Cup hero Starman the 11-8 favourite followed by 7-2 shot Creative Force, a prolific performer for Godolphin this season, although the admirable Dragon Symbol, placed in a host of big sprints this summer, misses out in favour of a trip to Ireland for the Curragh's Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes next week.

Dragon Symbol: no Haydock outing for himCredit: Andrew Parker / John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Supremacy, who is owned by Jason Goddard, won the Richmond and Middle Park Stakes as a juvenile and his end-of-year mark of 118 was bettered only by emerging superstar St Mark's Basilica, whom handicappers rated 120.

Asked if Supremacy could recapture that brilliance, Cox said: "I think he's excused his performances this year. He wasn't 100 per cent after the Pavilion Stakes and the ground meant he missed the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

"We then felt we needed to give him some confidence with blinkers in the July Cup, but I'm not sure that was a positive at all. We're in here to hopefully show he retains that level of form."

Cox, who has also left last year's shock Coventry winner Nando Parrado in the Sprint Cup, said: "This time of year can be difficult with the weather, so we've made no hard plans and want to have a look at the race, but it's quite likely we'll run Supremacy with the way the forecast looks.

"He likes a quick surface. He used a lot of speed up early in the July Cup with Art Power, but I've been happy with him. Nando ran a nice race over seven furlongs in the Hungerford Stakes and we think it might be wise to drop back a furlong, while he handles easy ground if the weather turns."

The last five editions of the Sprint Cup have been staged on ground described as soft or heavy, but it was good, good to firm in places on Monday.

Haydock's clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: "The ground is steadily drying and it last rained about eight days ago. We're experiencing an uncharacteristically dry spell and there's a question mark over whether it breaks on Saturday, hopefully after racing, but the dry spell certainly extends into Thursday and Friday.

"We'll decide if we need to water on Tuesday and we would probably only water the inner track, which we use on the opening two days."

Clive Cox: Saturday success gave the trainer a big kickCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cox is hoping he didn't use up all his luck on Saturday when recording a 311-1 treble.

Progressive handicapper Aratus got the ball rolling at Goodwood before the seven-year-old Tis Marvellous broke the track record in the Listed Beverley Bullet.

Cox's smile was even wider when Louie De Palma, two years older than Tis Marvellous, landed his first win for more than two years at Windsor.

The Lambourn trainer said: "It was a massive day from a satisfaction point of view, winning with a seven-year-old and nine-year-old, and it wasn't as if they were running in low-grade handicaps.

"Tis Marvellous broke the track record in the Bullet, while Louie has had his problems, but he's still able to compete at a decent level.

"They need to be enjoying it to win and it gives me huge pleasure – it's why we love racing. It says an awful lot for those horses and the sport because they wouldn't do the job if they didn't want to.

"Don't get me wrong, a fast exciting two-year-old is what we're all trying to unearth, but to see those older horses at that level made me enormously proud."

As for the promising Aratus, who made it four on the spin, Cox said: "We'll see how he is, but he's done so well this year. I don't think he's a horse who would relish soft ground, so we'll give him this week and see how he comes out of Goodwood, then make a plan from there."

Betfair Sprint Cup

Sponsors betting 11-8 Starman, 7-2 Creative Force, 6 Glen Shiel, 8 Art Power, Supremacy, 10 Gustavus Weston, 20 Chil Chil, Happy Romance, 25 Garrus, 33 Brando, Summerghand, 40 Emaraaty Ana, 50 Vadream, 66 Nando Parrado

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