International Entry For William Hill Sprint Cup The #225,000 William Hill Sprint Cup, highlight of Haydock Park´s Flat season, has attracted a superb 51-strong entry from across Europe. Haydock Park is delighted to announce that, following its recent acquisition of previous sponsor Stanleybet, the William Hill organisation is lending its support to the Sprint Cup. Somnus, the victorious horse in 2003 and runner-up last year, heads the home challenge for this season´s renewal of the Group One event, run over six furlongs on Saturday, September 3. Tim Easterby´s tough five-year-old - joint champion European sprinter in 2004 - has won three Group One races in total and is sure to be a danger to all once again, especially if the race is run on his favoured soft ground. Yorkshire-based Easterby could also be represented by Fayr Jag, victorious in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes in 2004, who showed signs of a return to form behind Beckermet last time out in a Listed race at Newbury. Another leading contender is the Hughie Morrison-trained Pastoral Pursuits, who put up a career-best performance last time out to land the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket on July 7, defeating Avonbridge and Etlaala among others. Roger Charlton won the William Hill Sprint Cup back in 1998 with Tamarisk and again last year with Tante Rose. This year the trainer could be represented by Avonbridge as well as the progressive filly Kind, last year´s third Patavellian and Striking Ambition, a Group Three winner at Deauville last time out. Another trainer with a fine record in the William Hill Sprint Cup is Chantilly-based Englishman John Hammond, who sent out Polar Falcon (1991), Cherokee Rose (1995) and Nuclear Debate (2001) to success. This time around Hammond has entered Miss Emma, twice a winner in Group Three company, and Ratio, who dead-heated with Fayr Jag in the 2003 Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot and was a Listed winner on his latest appearance at Chantilly on June 23. Ireland´s champion trainer Aidan O´Brien has yet to add the William Hill Sprint Cup to his CV and has a quartet of entries in 2005 - last year´s Group One Middle Park Stakes scorer Ad Valorem, Airwave, who finished third in 2003 when trained by Henry Candy, Dark Cheetah and Tiger Dance. Further Irish interest is provided by the David Wachman-trained duo of Damson, last year´s Group One Phoenix Stakes heroine who could revert to sprinting after two disappointing efforts over a mile, and Indesatchel, who could also drop back in trip after finishing runner-up in the French 2,000 Guineas earlier this season. Jim Bolger could also bid to provide the first Irish-trained winner since Abergwuan in 1972 with Democratic Deficit, a dual Group Three winner this season and another who would be stepping down in distance after being campaigned primarily over a mile. Further international interest comes in the form of Italian challenger Dream Impact, trained by Luigi Riccardi and successful when last seen out in the Group Three Gran Premio Citta Di Napoli at Naples on July 17. Other leading contenders include Richard Hannon´s Galeota, runner-up to Cape Of Good Hope in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot at York before running disappointingly in the Darley July Cup, and the Jeremy Noseda-trained pair of Soldier´s Tale and Balmont, fourth and fifth respectively in the same race. Iffraaj was very impressive when taking this year´s Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot at York before running a disappointing race in the Darley July Cup and is surely worth another chance at the highest level while Nota Bene looked progressive earlier in the season before putting in a disappointing effort in the Temple Stakes at Sandown last time. Adam Waterworth, Managing Director of Haydock Park, commented: 'We could not have wished for a stronger entry for the 2005 William Hill Sprint Cup with established stars set to take on progressive younger performers. 'Whoever comes out on top on Saturday, September 3, will surely be a strong contender for the title of champion sprinter of Europe. 'Haydock Park would like to extend its thanks to the William Hill organisation for supporting the Sprint Cup following its acquisition of our previous sponsor, Stanleybet Ltd.' David Hood, Head of Public Relations at William Hill, added: 'William Hill is absolutely delighted to be sponsoring this prestigious race. 'The history of the Sprint Cup is littered with top-class champions and with the current crop of sprinters, we are looking forward to a race of the highest calibre. 'William Hill is delighted to be able to continue the association with the Sprint Cup after the acquisition of Stanleybet Ltd.'
