Front-running Hello Youmzain adds Group One victory to tally

When Hello Youmzain beat Calyx, a 2-13 shot, at Haydock earlier in the season it was considered a shock, but he returned to the course yesterday to win the Group One Betfair Sprint Cup by half a length from last year’s winner, The Tin Man.

James Doyle, the winning rider, had Hello Youmzain, the 9-2 co-favourite, in the front rank throughout along with Invincible Army but the threeyear-old, trained across the Pennines in Yorkshire by Kevin Ryan, always looked in command and had enough left in the tank to repel the late-finishing runner-up by half a length.

The pair were two lengths clear of Waldpfad, the German-trained runner, who finished well for third ahead of Ryan’s second runner, Brando. The other co-favourites did not fare so well: Dream of Dreams was eighth and Khaadem last.

With Europe’s best sprinters, Blue Point (retired), Battaash (a specialist five-furlong horse), Advertise (running a low-grade infection) and Ten Sovereigns (ground) all missing the race, Hello Youmzain may not be an obvious contender for any end-of-season accolades for the division. But he now has a Group One to his name and with the Champions Sprint often run on similar ground, he may not have entirely missed the boat. One cannot but help feel, given his size and relative inexperience – this was only his seventh start – he will be a major player in next season’s big sprints.

“He was very brave,” said Doyle, who last rode Hello Youmzain when he was fourth in the Greenham at the start of the season. “I hadn’t planned on leading but he hit the gates so well and we know he gets the trip standing on his head. He’s a beast.”

It was a good training feat by Ryan, whose eighth Group One it was, as Hello Youmzain had not run since finishing third behind Advertise in June’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Earlier, Cieren Fallon, the increasingly impressive apprentice who has barely been race-riding for a year, gave Time To Study a superb ride to beat the gamble of the day, Alright Sunshine, in the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup.

With Crystal King 20 lengths clear with half a mile to race, Fallon collared the long-time leader and was then headed himself, but did not panic, and his 5lb claim proved invaluable as the winner got back up by a neck.