Harry Angel primed for 32Red Sprint Cup defence

Harry Angel has been absent since hurting himself at Royal Ascot. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Clive Cox has left left “no stone unturned” ahead of his stable star Harry Angel bidding for back-to-back wins in the Group 1 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

Owned by Godolphin, Harry Angel was the impressive four-length winner under his regular partner Adam Kirby of the six-furlong contest in 2017 from Tasleet and The Tin Man, who are set to re-oppose in the QIPCO British Champions Series contest, which this year carries record prize money of £325,200.

Harry Angel ended last year as officially the best sprinter in the world, with a rating of 125 in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. He made a winning seasonal reappearance in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes at York in May before injuring himself in the stalls on his latest appearance in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“I think relief was the initial emotion after Ascot because it could have been a lot worse,”Cox said on Tuesday. “Initially, we saw there was a small wound and then there was a bit of soreness muscularly and it took a bit longer.

“We missed the July Cup, which was a huge disappointment, and the 32Red Sprint Cup was the next logical six-furlong target. I am just delighted he is back in good form and he has given me a really positive feel. His work has been impeccable.”

He added: “From his point of view, he is in a good place. Obviously, we have done a lot of confidence-building work to be sure with the stalls and I am as happy as I possibly can be. Any sprinter is basically a coiled spring but we are very happy with the progress he has made.

“I would have preferred to have run in the July Cup but the upside is that he is going into Saturday as a fresh horse. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.

“We have done our bit at home and are very happy that everything is in good order. We will dot the i’s and cross the t’s in every which way – hopefully, we have left no stone unturned.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that he is a top-class horse. We all know that and we want to see top-class horses doing the job. Any success with Harry Angel means a huge amount and it has been a big team effort. Hopefully, we can show everybody what we have been doing with the horse and are looking forward to competing on Saturday.”