19 Declared for Haydock´s Stanleybet Sprint Cup - Record Field in Prospect

Last year´s Stanleybet Sprint Cup hero Somnus heads the 19 declarations for the 2004 renewal of the Group One Stanleybet Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday, September 4.

Tim Easterby´s charge defeated Oasis Dream by a length and a quarter 12 months ago when Airwave finished third, with Henry Candy´s star filly set to line up again this year.

Somnus will be bidding to become only the second dual winner of the Stanleybet Sprint Cup following Be Friendly who took the first two runnings (1966 and 1967) and warmed up perfectly with victory in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month.

There could be a record number of runners in Saturday. The biggest field for the Sprint Cup in its history was 16 in 1999, followed by 15 for the inaugural running.

This year´s field also includes Bahamian Pirate, successful last time out in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs at York when he had Aidan O´Brien´s much-hyped One Cool Cat back in third. One Cool Cat will reoppose in Saturday´s £225,000 feature and looks sure to benefit from the extra furlong as he was doing all his best work at the end in the York contest.

Another of this season´s leading sprinters, Frizzante, trained by James Fanshawe, is set to run and she recorded the biggest success of her career in the Group One July Cup at Newmarket earlier this season when she beat Ashdown Express a neck.

Ashdown Express finished fifth behind Somnus, beaten three quarters of a length, on his latest appearance in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and trainer Chris Wall is hoping for another bold show.

The Newmarket-based handler said: 'As long as the weather stays on a dry curve, then Ashdown Express will run in the Stanleybet Sprint Cup. The drier it gets, the better it will be for him. The forecast I saw this morning should be fine for him.

'He´s come out fine from his latest run at Deauville. He´s very well and is in good form.'

When asked whether this could be Ashdown Express´s turn for success after a string of excellent efforts this season, Wall replied: 'We live in hope! Let´s hope it´s our turn. Everybody has had a go at winning these big sprints this season and we are certainly in there with a fighting chance.'

Master trainer John Hammond, based at Chantilly in France, has sent out three winners of the Stanleybet Sprint Cup during his career (Polar Falcon, Cherokee Rose and Nuclear Debate) and is set to be represented by Ratio. The six-year-old dead-heated with Fayr Jag in the 2003 Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot and was triumphant in a Listed contest at Deauville on his sole start this season.

Roger Charlton saddled Tamarisk to victory in 1998 and has two runners this time around in Patavellian, winner of the Group One Prix de l´Abbaye at Longchamp last season, and the progressive Tante Rose, who has won both her starts this season including the Group Three Summer Stakes at York in July.

Other leading contenders include Bryan Smart´s Monsieur Bond, successful in the Group Two Duke Of York Stakes earlier this season, the Scottish challenger Orientor, who looked a shade unlucky when fifth in the Nunthorpe Stakes last time, Godolphin´s Cartography, third in the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, and the Michael Blanshard-trained The Trader, second to Patavellian at Longchamp last season and a Group Three winner at Deauville on his penultimate appearance.

Kirkland Tellwright, Haydock Park´s Clerk of the Course, commented today: 'All the leading contenders remain and we are delighted with a field of 19.

'Inevitably, one or two runners may evaporate before Saturday but we are very happy with the runners that have been declared.

'The ground today is good to soft, good in places, and we are experiencing a perfect late summer day. There is a possibility of a shower both tonight and tomorrow night but nothing significant.

'The worst case is probably good to soft, good in places, and the best case is probably good ground.'