Lazzat and No Half Measures Headline 22 Sprint Cup Contenders

[Wandering Eyes]

Following Monday's confirmation stage, French star Lazzat, July Cup heroine No Half Measures (Cable Bay) and the supplemented Sky Majesty (Blue Point) feature among 22 possible runners in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Jerome Reynier's Lazzat got the better of Japanese ace Satono Reve when striking Royal Ascot gold in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on his penultimate start.

The son of Territories then suffered a surprise defeat when bidding for back-to-back wins in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time, but he is the sponsor's 2/1 favourite to get back on the winning trail in this weekend's Group 1 feature on Merseyside.

No Half Measures reduced Richard Hughes to tears when providing the former leading jockey with his first top-level success as a trainer in Newmarket's July Cup and she will get the opportunity to prove that shock 66/1 victory was no fluke.

“It was a brilliant day in the July Cup,” Hughes said of that performance. “We were hoping she would run well, but on that ground we didn't think it would be possible to win.

“I thought she would need it softer to be able to overcome that level of horse, but she went and proved she can do it on any ground. I don't think she had an advantage with the draw, so you could probably upgrade the performance. She did everything right and got to the line well.

“Before you get that Group 1 winner you feel like you are hanging on by your fingertips trying to survive in this game getting the winners and keeping your owners happy.

“When you get that Group 1, it feels like you can freewheel for a bit. We haven't had that many winners since, but a big win like that takes the pressure off.”

He added, “She looks really good at the moment and we are really pleased with her. She has had a nice gap, but we always thought this was going to be her Derby.

“When we got started with her in the spring, we said the Sprint Cup was her race as it is normally slow ground, but either way now it doesn't matter what the ground is really.

“If it is slower ground up there, she will step forward again. My horses always seem to run well up at Haydock I'm not sure why they do, but they do and that is a good thing to have on your side, while Neil [Callan] will keep the ride.”

Hughes could also saddle Sayidah Dariyan (Dariyan), who was beaten four lengths when last seen finishing seventh in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, while William Haggas has supplemented fast-improving filly Sky Majesty to join similarly progressive stablemate Almeraq (Dark Angel) at a cost of £20,000.

Sky Majesty is one of two supplementary entries along with Eve Johnson Houghton's Rage Of Bamby (Saxon Warrior).

Other leading contenders include Harry Eustace's G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) and the James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue (Blue Point), who won last season's G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes and bounced back from an underwhelming start to his campaign when finishing third in the G3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh.

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