Betfair Sprint Cup
Group 1, Haydock Park 15:35
£350,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
6f, Class 1   
Saturday 7th September 2024

Odds catcher

1 Montassib 25/1
2 Kind Of Blue 14/1
3 Unequal Love 12/1
16 ran Distances: hd, ¾l, ¾l
Time: 1m 10.31s (fast by 0.19s)

Trained by William Haggas and ridden by Cieren Fallon, the six-year-old Montassib had not raced since winning the Group Three Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle in June.

Despite the long break, Montassib came from behind to secure Group One success, overtaking James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue. Another Haggas-trained horse, Unequal Love, finished third, while the 50-1 shot Vadream took fourth place.

A thrilled Fallon commented, “What a performance! You need to have confidence in this horse and be patient. He’s consistently improved, and I’m fortunate to continue riding him. Riding a Group One winner for Mr. and Mrs. Haggas is a privilege.”

Fallon, originally from Wigan, celebrated his third Group One win, having previously won the July Cup in 2020 and the King’s Stand in 2021 with Oxted. After a challenging year with injuries, Fallon was delighted to return to the winner’s circle in Merseyside. “It’s incredible. My family is here, and this is my first Group One win for Mr. Haggas, who has supported me from the start. It’s special,” he added.

Haggas admitted he had low expectations for the race. “I thought Unequal Love might do well because she’s so genuine, but I was concerned the ground would be too fast for Montassib. I also expected the action to be on the stands rail. Now that we’ve found his ideal distance, he’s very effective at six furlongs. I don’t enjoy beating James because he’s a friend, but we’re thrilled with the win. Cieren is riding with great confidence despite his injuries, and he gets the best out of this horse.”

Montassib is now set to compete in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot, with his odds cut to 6-1 from 14-1. “He had a heart condition as a two-year-old, but he’s a good horse, and Ascot has always been our target,” Haggas said. “Ascot should suit him, but now he’ll be one of the favorites, and there will be expectations. It’s different when you’re expected to win.”

Reflecting on Unequal Love, Haggas added, “She ran a great race and is a lovely, genuine filly. Things didn’t go her way last time, but she won the Wokingham with a lot of weight and is improving. She’s now Group One-placed and needs to win a Group race.”

Betfair Sprint Cup
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
16 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2)    Montassib 6 9-5 William Haggas Cieren Fallon 25/1
2 (5) hd Kind Of Blue 3 9-3 James Fanshawe Daniel Muscutt 14/1
3 (6) ¾ Unequal Love 4 9-2 William Haggas Daniel Tudhope 12/1
4 (4) ¾ Vadream v6 9-2 Charlie Fellowes Hollie Doyle 50/1
5 (8) 2 Flora Of Bermuda 3 9-0 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 33/1
6 (3) ¾ Bucanero Fuerte 3 9-3 Adrian Murray David Egan 10/1
7 (15) ¾ Swingalong 4 9-2 K R Burke William Buick 11/2
8 (11) shd Elite Status 3 9-3 K R Burke Clifford Lee 11/2
9 (1) ½ Moss Tucker 6 9-5 K J Condon W J Lee 33/1
10 (13) 1¼ Jasour 3 9-3 Clive Cox Jim Crowley 17/2
11 (16) 1 Spycatcher 1 6 9-5 K R Burke Ryan Moore 25/1
12 (14) nk Shouldvebeenaring 4 9-5 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 18/1
13 (10) ½ Inisherin 3 9-3 Kevin Ryan Tom Eaves 5/2F
14 (7) ½ Givemethebeatboys 3 9-3 Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley 28/1
15 (12) ¾ Annaf 5 9-5 Michael Appleby Rossa Ryan 28/1
16 (9) nk Art Power 7 9-5 Tim Easterby Joe Fanning 25/1