Western Morning News (Saturday)
Starman stands out in Betfair Sprint Cup
STARMAN can cement his champion sprinter-elect status with a second Group One victory in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.
The four-year-old has been backed to the exclusion of virtually everything else all week – and for good reason after what has been a highly-successful campaign so far.
Ed Walker took the wraps off his stable star at York back in May, when he shrugged off the disadvantage of ease in the ground to win the Duke of York Stakes.
Heavy rain at Ascot hit an intended Diamond Jubilee run subsequently, but back on fast ground at Newmarket he showed his rivals a clean pair of heels in the July Cup – with the likes of the reopposing Creative Force, Art Power and Glen Shiel all in behind.
A subsequent trip to France yielded no joy in the Maurice de Gheest when soft ground and an extra half-furlong proved too a step too far, but he was not disgraced in being beaten less than two lengths in third.
Back at six furlongs, with conditions to suit at a track Walker feels will play to his strengths, it will be disappointing if he is beaten.
Lord Glitters can strike in the Betfair Double Daily Rewards Superior Mile Stakes after an excellent run in defeat behind Real World at York.
The winner looks a potential top-notcher, but Lord Glitters turned in a fine performance to be beaten a length and a half in second, conceding 7lb to the winner after taking a Meydan Group One earlier in the year.
David O’Meara’s popular eightyear-old is favoured by the conditions of this Group Three and could take some beating.
Hukum has continued his progress through the ranks this term and another Group Three title should go his way in the September Stakes at Kempton.
The four-year-old won the Geoffrey Freer off a mark of 97 last year and the fact he triumphed in that race again last month of a perch of 114 demonstrates his improvement over the last 12 months.
Owen Burrows’ charge has won three of his five outings this term, all on turf, but he did win on the Kempton Polytrack last year, so the surface should not be a negative.
Meanwhile, Noble Dynasty can make a victorious return from a lay off in the Personal Touches 20th Anniversary EBF Handicap at Thirsk.