Speed merchants off to the Temple

Sole Power returns in triumph after last year’s betfred.com Temple Stakes. Can he make it two-in-a-row on Saturday? Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

It’s the first sprint in the QIPCO British Champions Series on Saturday and Irish raider, Sole Power, is looking to win a high class betfred.com Temple Stakes, over a fast five furlongs a Haydock Park, for the second year in a row.

He will face 12 rivals, with a fascinating blend of established sprinters and promising three-year-olds with possible aspirations to sprinting stardom in the future.

Victory in this race was as good as it got for Sole Power last season.

He disappointed in two other Series sprints, the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Betfred Sprint Cup back at Haydock in September, but was a very unlucky third in France’s top sprint, the Prix de l’Abbaye in October, after meeting trouble in running.

He ran well in two sprints in Dubai in March and his trainer, Edward Lynam, has been pleased with him since. Champion jockey Paul Hanagan takes the ride for the first time.

The opposition is headed by the horse who won the Prix de l’Abbaye, Tangerine Trees, though he must carry a penalty for that Group 1 triumph and Sole Power would undoubtedly have won the race had he found a clear passage.

Another to stand out is Bated Breath, trained by Roger Charlton, who went close in two Series sprints last year (runner-up to Dream Ahead in both the Darley July Cup and Betfred Sprint Cup over six furlongs), but he may find five furlongs a bit too sharp on his seasonal debut.

Trainer Robert Cowell, something of a sprint specialist, runs Spirit Quartz and Monsieur Joe. The latter came very close to winning a Group 3 sprint in Paris last month.

Borderlescott is a veteran Group 1-winning sprinter, but he has not won for nearly two years and at ten years of age appears to be on a downward slope.

Masamah, on the other hand, looked good when chalking up three victories for Kevin Ryan last year and could have more improvement in him. He certainly cannot be ruled out.

Confessional, Elusivity and Swiss Dream are the other older horses in the race and all have some potential, but much more interesting are the two three-year-olds that complete the field.

Both Bapak Chinta, trained like Masamah by Kevin Ryan, and the Richard Hannon-trained Best Terms, won juvenile races at Royal Ascot last year and both unquestionably have serious sprinting potential, though it is a big ask taking on older horses at this stage of the season even though they enjoy an eight pound weight concession.

It looks a very open and intriguing race and a good run from Bated Breath, who would appear to have more potential than any other horse in the race, albeit that Saturday’s trip may be on the short side, could see him established as the main British threat to star Australian sprinter Black Caviar in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

Get along to Haydock Park, which is not far from either Liverpool or Manchester, if you can on Saturday – there’s a great supporting card as well – or otherwise make sure you catch the fast and furious action of the betfred.com Temple Stakes live on Channel 4 and satellite channel Racing UK at 3pm.

For more details about the race and the full list of runners, CLICK HERE.