# Haydock Sprint Cup

The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September.

## History

The event was established in 1966, and it was originally open to horses aged two or older. It was devised by Robert Sangster, the heir to the Vernons Pools business, who later became a leading racehorse owner/breeder. During the early part of its history the race was sponsored by Vernons and held in early November. It was initially contested on a course with a sharp left-hand bend.
The Vernons Sprint Cup was switched to September in 1979. It was transferred to Haydock's newly installed 6-furlong straight track in 1986. It was promoted to Group 1 status in 1988, the final year of Vernons' sponsorship. For a period the race was closed to two-year-olds, but it reopened in 1989. Juveniles were excluded again from 1994.
The Sprint Cup is currently sponsored by Betfair.

## Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Be Friendly – 1966, 1967
Leading jockey (3 wins):
* Lester Piggott – Green God (1971), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1980)
* Pat Eddery – Record Token (1976), Dowsing (1988), Danehill (1989)
* Willie Carson – Boldboy (1977), Habibti (1983), Dayjur (1990)
* Bruce Raymond – Runnett (1981), Petong (1984), Sheikh Albadou (1992)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
* John Dunlop – Runnett (1981), Habibti (1983), Lavinia Fontana (1994), Invincible Spirit (2002)
Leading owner (4 wins):
* Sheikh Mohammed – Ajdal (1987), Wolfhound (1993), Cherokee Rose (1995), Goodricke (2005)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
| 1966 | Be Friendly | 2 | Colin Williams | Cyril Mitchell | Peter O'Sullevan | 1:16.40 |
| 1967 | Be Friendly | 3 | Scobie Breasley | Cyril Mitchell | Peter O'Sullevan | 1:18.00 |
| 1968 | no race 1968 | | | | | |
| 1969 | Tudor Music | 3 | Frankie Durr | Michael Jarvis | David Robinson | 1:14.80 |
| 1970 | Golden Orange | 4 | Jimmy Lindley | Ken Cundell | Lady Clifden | 1:15.60 |
| 1971 | Green God | 3 | Lester Piggott | Michael Jarvis | David Robinson | 1:15.90 |
| 1972 | Abergwaun | 4 | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | Charles St George | 1:16.16 |
| 1973 | The Blues | 2 | Richard Marshall | Bill Marshall | G. van der Ploeg | 1:17.10 |
| 1974 | Princely Son | 5 | Johnny Seagrave | Ken Cundell | Wilfred Sherman | 1:21.75 |
| 1975 | Lianga | 4 | Yves Saint-Martin | Angel Penna, Sr. | Daniel Wildenstein | 1:18.61 |
| 1976 | Record Token | 4 | Pat Eddery | Peter Walwyn | Sir Herbert Ingram | 1:19.50 |
| 1977 | Boldboy | 7 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Lady Beaverbrook | 1:19.21 |
| 1978 | Absalom | 3 | Taffy Thomas | Ryan Jarvis | Mrs C. Alington | 1:17.99 |
| 1979 | Double Form | 4 | Geoff Lewis | Fulke Johnson Houghton | Baroness H. Thyssen | 1:12.72 |
| 1980 | Moorestyle | 3 | Lester Piggott | Robert Armstrong | Moores Furnishings Ltd | 1:14.81 |
| 1981 | Runnett | 4 | Bruce Raymond | John Dunlop | Miss V. Evans | 1:14.14 |
| 1982 | Indian King | 4 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | J. Levy | 1:12.51 |
| 1983 | Habibti | 3 | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | Mohamed Mutawa | 1:15.31 |
| 1984 | Petong | 4 | Bruce Raymond | Michael Jarvis | Tom Warner | 1:13.17 |
| 1985 | Orojoya | 3 | Brent Thomson | Jeremy Hindley | Robert Sangster | 1:16.24 |
| 1986 | Green Desert | 3 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | Maktoum Al Maktoum | 1:14.82 |
| 1987 | Ajdal | 3 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:14.87 |
| 1988 | Dowsing | 4 | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | Khalid Abdullah | 1:17.24 |
| 1989 | Danehill | 3 | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | Khalid Abdullah | 1:12.75 |
| 1990 | Dayjur | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Hamdan Al Maktoum | 1:12.50 |
| 1991 | Polar Falcon | 4 | Cash Asmussen | John Hammond | David Thompson | 1:11.23 |
| 1992 | Sheikh Albadou | 4 | Bruce Raymond | Alex Scott | Hilal Salem | 1:14.17 |
| 1993 | Wolfhound | 4 | Michael Roberts | John Gosden | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:10.98 |
| 1994 | Lavinia Fontana | 5 | Jason Weaver | John Dunlop | Cyril Humphris | 1:11.42 |
| 1995 | Cherokee Rose | 4 | Cash Asmussen | John Hammond | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:13.74 |
| 1996 | Iktamal | 4 | Willie Ryan | Ed Dunlop | Maktoum Al Maktoum | 1:09.92 |
| 1997 | Royal Applause | 4 | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | Maktoum Al Maktoum | 1:14.46 |
| 1998 | Tamarisk | 3 | Tim Sprake | Roger Charlton | Highclere Racing Ltd | 1:11.30 |
| 1999 | Diktat | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 1:11.04 |
| 2000 | Pipalong | 4 | Kevin Darley | Tim Easterby | Tom Bennett | 1:15.49 |
| 2001 | Nuclear Debate | 6 | Gérald Mossé | John Hammond | Bob Chester | 1:15.39 |
| 2002 | Invincible Spirit | 5 | John Carroll | John Dunlop | Prince A. A. Faisal | 1:12.44 |
| 2003 | Somnus | 3 | Ted Durcan | Tim Easterby | Legard / Sidebottom / Sykes | 1:13.49 |
| 2004 | Tante Rose | 4 | Richard Hughes | Roger Charlton | Bjorn Nielsen | 1:11.58 |
| 2005 | Goodricke | 3 | Jamie Spencer | David Loder | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:10.87 |
| 2006 | Reverence | 5 | Kevin Darley | Eric Alston | G. & L. Middlebrook | 1:15.78 |
| 2007 | Red Clubs | 4 | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | Ronald Arculli | 1:13.11 |
| 2008 | African Rose | 3 | Stéphane Pasquier | Criquette Head-Maarek | Khalid Abdullah | 1:12.81 |
| 2009 | Regal Parade | 5 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls | Dab Hand Racing | 1:13.74 |
| 2010 | Markab | 7 | Pat Cosgrave | Henry Candy | Tight Lines Partnership | 1:09.40 |
| 2011 | Dream Ahead | 3 | William Buick | David Simcock | Khalifa Dasmal | 1:10.36 |
| 2012 | Society Rock | 5 | Kieren Fallon | James Fanshawe | Simon Gibson | 1:10.20 |
| 2013 | Gordon Lord Byron | 5 | Johnny Murtagh | Tom Hogan | C. Poonawalla & M. Cahalan | 1:12.25 |
| 2014 | G Force | 3 | Daniel Tudhope | David O'Meara | Middleham Park Racing XVIII et al. | 1:12.95 |
| 2015 | Twilight Son | 3 | Fergus Sweeney | Henry Candy | Godfrey Wilson & Cheveley Park Stud | 1:12.86 |
| 2016 | Quiet Reflection | 3 | Dougie Costello | Karl Burke | Ontoawinner, Strecker & Burke | 1:13.45 |
| 2017 | Harry Angel | 3 | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox | Godolphin | 1:13.90 |
| 2018 | The Tin Man | 6 | Oisin Murphy | James Fanshawe | Fred Archer Racing - Ormonde | 1:14.13 |
| 2019 | Hello Youmzain | 3 | James Doyle | Kevin Ryan | Jaber Abdullah | 1:12.79 |
| 2020 | Dream of Dreams | 6 | Oisin Murphy | Sir Michael Stoute | Saeed Suhail | 1:14.07 |
| 2021 | Emaraaty Ana | 5 | Andrea Atzeni | Kevin Ryan | Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum | 1:09.10 |
| 2022 | Minzaal | 4 | Jim Crowley | Owen Burrows | Shadwell Estate | 1:08.44 |
| 2023 | Regional | 5 | Callum Rodriguez | Edward Bethell | Future Champions Racing Regional | 1:10.60 |
| 2024 | Montassib | 6 | Cieren Fallon | William Haggas | The Montassib Partnership | 1:10.31 |
* ↑ The 1968 race was abandoned because of fog
* ↑ The 2008 running took place at Doncaster