DOUBLE HANDFUL

John Shaw’s racing betting column in association with

THIS year’s renewal of the Betfair Sprint Cup is as competitive as I can remember. r. Mind you, these days ays my memory is pretty y awful, although on the plus side I do have a clear conscience.

The market has six of the 13-strong field priced at 10-1 or under, so there are any number of horses that could win n this.

However, I do feel the top two in the forecast hold the best chance.

I’ve been toing and froing all day between picking HELLO YOUMZAIN or Dream Of Dreams.

The pair both appear generously priced despite the highly competitive nature of the field. My wife always laughs at how competitive I am (though not as much as me).

Dream Of Dreams was this column’s selection when winning the

Hungerford Stakes last month and, boy, was he impressive that day.

To win a Group Two over seve seven furlongs by seven lengths takes some doin doing.

If the going is s soft, as looks likely, it should suit Sir Michael Stoute’s improving six-year-old down to the ground. Hello Youmzain w was the impressive win winner of the Diamond Jubil Jubilee at Ascot where he beat the fast-finishing Dream Of Dreams (second) as well as nine other rivals.

The ground was good to soft at Ascot that day but likely to be soft this afternoon, which is the only negative I can pin on Hello Youmzain. He loves it at Haydock, with two victories in his three runs here, the other being a short-head second. He’s as gusty as they come and I feel six furlongs suits him better than Dream Of Dreams.