‘We Only Want to Cross the Channel and Win’ – Reynier Ready to Unleash Sprint Cup Ace Lazzat

[Wandering Eyes]

Trainer Jerome Reynier is optimistic that Lazzat can consolidate his position as Europe's leading sprinter by adding another Group 1 success to his tally in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

An eight-time winner for the Marseille-based Reynier, Lazzat put himself in contention for top honours in this division when winning the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, beating the high-class Japanese raider Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) by half a length, having been acquired by Wathnan Racing just a few weeks previously.

More recently, the son of Territories was forced to settle for the runner-up spot when attempting to win the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville for the second consecutive year, but Reynier will be travelling to Merseyside on Saturday with only a victory on his mind.

Speaking on a Zoom call organised by the Jockey Club on Thursday, Reynier said, “It's exciting to have our first runner at Haydock. We've had a few runners in England and finally won our first Group 1 race at Royal Ascot with Lazzat which was good. Now, we only want to cross the Channel and win.

“It's a different feeling to come over with a favourite for a Group 1 race. When he got beaten by Sajir in the Maurice de Gheest last time it was tough, although we were still happy with the horse because he ran a good race.

“If he wins another Group 1 on Saturday, we will be very happy as he could be European sprint champion of the year, which is very important for all the team. Wathnan have invested a lot and it was great to be able to win at Royal Ascot with him in a Group 1 – I am hoping we will be able to win many more with him. After getting beat last time, hopefully he can fire back and prove he is the best.”

Three of the five French-trained winners in the history of the Sprint Cup – Polar Falcon in 1991, Cherokee Rose in 1995 and Nuclear Debate in 2001 – were saddled by the now-retired John Hammond, who Reynier used to work for as an assistant trainer.

“John did give me some tips,” Reynier revealed. “And I know James [Doyle, jockey] knows his way around Haydock well, so I am confident the horse will give his best as usual.

“He doesn't need to go right to the front – he won the Maurice de Gheest last year when upsides the leader. He just needs to be in his rhythm. If you try to hold him up, he is not happy. I think by keeping him at Deauville, with a workout a week before the race and then making the long journey to Haydock, he will hopefully be spot on for the race on Saturday.

“He is a horse that's happy in any kind of routine. He's travelled the world and been in quarantine, so he is very versatile and can adapt himself to any kind of conditions. He's very easy to deal with. He gets on well with his morning rider, Franck Blondel, a former champion jockey. As long as he has Franck with him, he is happy to visit the world.”

Beyond Saturday, Lazzat could well be on his travels again at some stage, with Reynier adding, “To be the fastest horse in the world, we would need to beat Ka Ying Rising from Hong Kong. That horse is going for the Everest [in Australia] and we will see how good he is outside of Hong Kong.

“With Lazzat, we could give him an international campaign as a five-year-old next year and start off in Dubai with the Al Quoz Sprint.”

Strong Hand for Wathnan in Maximum Field of 17

Lazzat is the headline act in a maximum field of 17 for the Sprint Cup, with fellow Group 1 winner Kind Of Blue (Blue Point) and last year's fifth Flora Of Bermuda (Dark Angel) also featuring in a three-pronged attack from Wathnan.

Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali), Harry Eustace's G1 Commonwealth Cup winner, has been declared, alongside a pair of runners from the Richard Hughes yard in the G1 July Cup heroine No Half Measures (Cable Bay) and G3 Summer Stakes scorer Sayidah Dariyan (Dariyan).

Mick Appleby will also be double-handed with July Cup runner-up Big Mojo (Mohaather) and the veteran Annaf (Muhaarar), while Kevin Ryan saddles last year's beaten favourite in Inisherin (Shamardal), as well as Ain't Nobody (Sands Of Mali) following his runner-up finish in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at 100/1.

Clive Cox will be represented by both Diligent Harry (Due Diligence) and James's Delight (Invincible Army), but William Haggas will field only Sky Majesty (Blue Point) after his Almeraq (Dark Angel) was not declared. Sky Majesty was a supplementary entry on Monday, along with Eve Johnson Houghton's Rage Of Bamby (Saxon Warrior).

There are two further horses travelling from overseas, with Yann Barberot's Beauvatier (Lope De Vega) joining Lazzat in a two-pronged French challenge and the Ger Lyons-trained My Mate Alfie (Dark Angel) making the journey across the Irish Sea.

July Cup third Run To Freedom (Muhaarar) completes the list of horses guaranteed a run, leaving Nighteyes (Night Of Thunder) and Celandine (Kingman) to fill the role of reserves.

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