Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
READY.. WILLING ENABLE RYAN MIGHTY
Kev’s star Brando is bet you can’t refuse in Sprint Cup
SUPERSTAR filly Enable is “up to the right level” for her long-awaited comeback in the 188Bet September Stakes at Kempton this afternoon.
John Gosden’s four-year-old has been off the track since her stunning success in the Arc at Chantilly last October. Enable is Paddy Power’s 9-2 market leader to double up at Longchamp on October 7 and Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to her owner, Khalid Abdullah, said: “As far as fitness goes, she’s up to the right level.
“You can’t replicate real-life races, but hopefully she will run really well and that should put her spot-on for the Arc.” King George runner-up Crystal Ocean (above) is a surprise opponent, and Grimthorpe added: “Without him it would have been just a nice canter round — she can do that at home.
“It will be a solid benchmark of where we are, but the signs have been positive.” BRANDO can take a starring role for trainer Kevin Ryan in the 32Red Sprint Cup (4.15, ITV) at Haydock today. Ryan (right) has brought the six-yearold through from the handicap ranks – he won the Ayr Gold Cup in 2016 – to success at the highest level.
The chestnut proved he can mix it with the best speedsters when landing the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August last year.
And the son of Pivotal ran very close to that form when second to US Navy Flag in the July Cup at Newmarket.
Ignore Brando’s latest run when defending his Maurice de Gheest title. Everything went wrong as he came home eighth.
Harry Angel took the Sprint Cup 12 months ago and is a warm order to retain his crown. But Clive Cox’s four-year-old, returning from an injury sustained in the stalls at Royal Ascot, is too short at 10-11 – and 18-1 shot Brando is the value bet.