Soft ground perfect for Invincible Army to strike

Invincible Army can finally win a Group One today by landing the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park.

The race lost its two star performers yesterday when Ten Sovereigns was eventually taken out because of soft ground and Advertise returned a dirty scope, which has really opened it up.

The new favourite is Khaadem, an improving three-year-old and this age group has a good record in the race, indeed four of them won it on the bounce before a six-year-old, The Tin Man, scored last year.

Khaadem was an impressive winner of the Stewards’ Cup last time but that is a handicap and it is a huge step up from there to Group One company, so opinions regarding him may be slightly inflated.

If you fancy Khaadem you have to give German raider Waldpfad a terrific each-way chance as he beat him by 1¾ lengths on good to soft ground at Newbury in July. On today’s ground trainer Dominik Moser must be hopeful of keeping up his good record in Britain.

Trainer James Tate is looking forward to finally running Invincible Army in a Group One with some decent cut in the ground and progeny of his sire, Invincible Spirit, certainly all seem to like soft ground.

Invincible Army has had a touch of the Battaash’s about him in that he has looked superb in lesser races but bombed in the three Group Ones he has contested. However, he is proven on the track and the application of cheekpieces might help concentrate his mind.

“It is the first time he has got some soft in the going in a Group One,” said Tate yesterday.

“He has worked well in cheekpieces and jumped well from the stalls in them so I’m hoping that they will give him a bit of confidence. He did his best ever piece of work last Saturday,” Tate added.