Too Darn Hot heads 34 entries for the 32Red Sprint Cup

Too Darn Hot got back to winning ways in France last weekend. Pic Steven Cargill / Racingfotos.com

Too Darn Hot defending champion The Tin Man are among 34 entries for the 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 7.

The six-furlong contest, worth £300,000, was first run in 1966 and is the sixth race in the sprint category of the 2019 QIPCO British Champions Series.

Be Friendly, owned by legendary BBC racing commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan, is the only one horse to have won the 32Red Sprint Cup twice. He captured the first two runnings in 1966 and 1967.

The Tin Man, trained by James Fanshawe, could attempt to become the second in 2019, having finished half a length ahead of Brando (Kevin Ryan) in the 2018 renewal. The seven-year-old is an 8/1 chance with sponsor 32Red, while Brando is priced at 12/1.

32Red’s 2/1 favourite is three-year-old Too Darn Hot, trained by John Gosden.

Owned by Lord Lloyd-Webber and bred by Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber’s Watership Down Stud, the son of Dubawi was the champion two-year-old of 2018 and got back to winning ways last time out when dropped back in distance for the seven-furlong Prix Jean Prat at Deauville last weekend, scoring by an easy three lengths under Frankie Dettori.

German handler Dominik Moser is hoping Waldpfad can earn himself a tilt.

The Shamardal horse, homebred by Gestut Brummerhof, won going away when dropped back to six furlongs for the Group 3 Holstein Cup at Hamburg on July 3 and the five-year-old is now pencilled in for the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes over the same distance at Newbury on July 20 as a next assignment.

Hanover-based Moser said: “Waldpfad won nicely at Hamburg last week and now the plan is to go for a Group 3 race at Newbury later this month. We would like to up the competition a bit to see if he is good enough to go to Haydock for the 32Red Sprint Cup.

“Before Waldpfad came to me, he had been running mainly over a mile. We train with modern equipment that monitors speed and heart rate, and once we realised how quick he is, we decided to come back to shorter distances.

“He is getting better and better and I think he could be a very good horse. I like Haydock Park as a track – it is flat and the straight course is very fair. A good filly of mine Gracia Directa was just beaten there in a Listed race a few years ago (runner-up in the 2013 Cecil Frail Stakes).

“I like coming to England if I feel the horse is good enough. It is great experience for our owners and there is a very good atmosphere.”

Other top entries include Dream Of Dreams, Advertise, Cape Byron,  Mabs Cross, Invincible Army, Ten Sovereigns and Sands Of Mali.