Our Senior Form Analyst Jamie Lynch on the primary players for the valuable two-year-old event at Newbury on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
This is the first time since 1999 that the Weatherbys Super Sprint, live on Sky Sports Racing at 3.35 on Saturday, has drawn a field of fewer than 20, though this weighted race is rarely so open as the numbers suggest and 10 of the last 15 editions have been won by a horse at a single-figure price, the obvious ones presenting themselves, and this renewal is no different in that regard. Let’s look at the main contenders.
Jockey: Connor Beasley | Trainer: A Keatley
He made it third time lucky when bullying a field of inferiors at Ripon (by 4½ lengths), and there’s no doubt he’s well equipped for a speed shootout such as this, but he’s unfavoured by the race conditions: he’d be getting weight off four of these if it was a nursery, yet he has to give weight all round.
Rossa Ryan | C G Cox
Half-brother by Sergei Prokofiev to stable stalwart Tis Marvellous and a big difference in him for fast ground when he shot clear in a Bath maiden by four lengths, a feeling that the floodgates opened. Others are better in than him at the weights but he’s probably just getting going in life, given his pedigree and stable.
Hollie Doyle | A Watson
Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle teamed up to win the 2022 Super Sprint with Eddie’s Boy who had been third in the Windsor Castle, and on his way here Vingegaard stopped at the same services, finishing fifth at Royal Ascot but second home – beaten just a neck by stablemate Weissmuller – in his group. However, the form of Windsor Castle has taken a number of knocks, including the aforementioned Weissmuller who trailed in last.
Dylan Hogan | Jack Jones
From a yard that made a bit of a name for itself with its two-year-olds in 2023, and Caburn did well to overpower a race-fit bunch from big stables at Salisbury, though that was a 6f race which was 74 seconds in the completion, and this will take a flat minute to win it, maybe a shock to the system for him.
Harry Russell | J & S Quinn
Firm foundations with his Redcar win and, more so, his Beverley third to subsequent Norfolk winner Shareholder. Probably a case of one run too many 10 days later at Catterick and since freshened up for this, though he’s up against it at the weights.
Charles Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton
Beat subsequent winners when successful on his first two starts, at Kempton (held off the re-opposing Do It Now) and Salisbury (defeated Queen Mary favourite Kassaya), but he beat only one home in the Windsor Castle on fast ground. Nicely in at the weights for what he did to begin with but hard to completely forgive and forget Royal Ascot.
C Lee | K R Burke
Officially the top-rated in the race, though whether she’s worth 95 is another matter, acknowledging that the Fabre filly (Apollo Fountain) who beat her in a listed race at Deauville last time looks a bit special. Whatever the nuances of her rating, Kaadi has the right tools for the job and, potentially, the right draw, next to It Ain’t Two.
Tom Marquand | R Hannon
Richard Hannon Senior has won this race seven times and Junior four, so it says something that Miss Collada is their only dart this time when they normally throw several. Her sales price and precocious pedigree (by Mehmas out of a Queen Mary fourth) made Miss Collada a good fit for this from the beginning, sharpened by the week-on-week progression which saw her justify favouritism decisively at Wolverhampton and Salisbury. Had the luxury of a rest (of eight weeks) prior to this primary target, but there are plenty ahead of her on form at the weights.
K T O’Neill | Alice Haynes
Went off a shorter price than runner-up Kaadi in a listed race at Deauville which soon unravelled for her, hampered more than once. Cheekpieces deployed this time and her odds overly focus on her end position last time rather than the problems therein or her prior progress: she has a better chance than most in her price bracket.
R Kingscote | Harry Eustace
A most taking debut at Kempton where she quickened sharply to overtake the experienced market leaders (both colts) from the stables of Balding and Beckett. Lowther entry speaks of her direction of travel and, as such, looks to be let in very lightly here carrying just 8-08, but the different dynamics of dropping to 5f and switching to turf will push pressure points that Kempton never touched.
Oisin Murphy | H Palmer
Arguably the most accomplished horse in the line-up, having chased home Aesterius (pair clear) in her third listed race, in the Dragon at Sandown, but she gets weight from all bar two, making it clear why she’s favourite, with good reason, plenty in her favour, though she has twice missed the break and if she did so again in a race like this it may be game over.
The usual Super Sprint in that it’s straightforward or as complex as you want, the straightforward side being the easily identified protagonists, before the complexities of weights and pace and draw. The one for me whose form is furthest away from her odds is Kuwaitya who was justifiably shorter in the betting than Kaadi at Deauville in a race which was over before it began for her, excusably so, while cheekpieces may get a bit more out of her, and a high draw looks the right place to be, in the same zone as Kaadi and It Ain’t Two.
Watch the Weatherbys Super Sprint from Newbury live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) at 3.35pm on Saturday 20th July.
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