Weekend Raiders – Five foreigners take their chance in the Sprint Cup at Haydock

We take a look at the weekend raiders that venture to the United Kingdom and Ireland from their representative countries. We even have a raider from Germany in the Sprint Cup at Haydock which is interesting.

Jedd O’Keeffe’s Only Spoofing didn’t run his usual good race at Sandown last week but he had excuses. He was squeezed up on the rail and couldn’t find a split and when his race was over, Kieran O’Neill took it easy on him. He has gone from 71 up to 87 since July so the handicapper may well have a grip on him for now but he’s an interesting raider to Ireland nonetheless.

Gordon Elliott has an exceptional strike-rate with his UK raiders and it’s highly interesting that he sends Falak across to Stratford as his sole runner on the card. He has a big weight to carry but he has by far the best form in the book and will be a threat to all if he jumps well.

Noel Kelly travels over from Ireland with one runner on the Stratford card in the shape of Best Not Argue, who was very well backed when going down by just a neck at Cartmel in July. She was a decent mare on the flat and could be potentially well treated here over hurdles.

It’s onto the Sprint Cup we go now and the first runner we will look at is Ten Sovereigns. Aidan O’Brien’s sprinter may not run if the ground is too much on the soft side but he was a winner on Good to Soft in the past so it will be interesting to see if they take their chance. Five furlongs was far too sharp for him in the Nunthope latest but he will feel much more at home back at six.

The German raider Waldpfad is the next runner to look at for the big race on Saturday and he looks very under-estimated by the bookmakers. He gave Khaadem eight pounds and a beating when they met at Newbury and is actually six pounds better off at the weights here. How is the German raider nearly four times the price of Charles’ Hills runner? No idea!

Fairyland was probably amiss when well held in the Nunthorpe last time out and she doesn’t look a natural five furlong sprinter. She is best judged on her recent third to Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup over six furlongs and she could be a solid each-way player considering she has won on soft before.

The last of the army of Ballydoyle runners entered in the Sprint Cup is So Perfect, who will be partnered by Wayne Lordan. She ran a solid fifth in the July Cup and was a terrific third in the Nunthorpe behind Battaash last time out. The three-year-old is no forlorn hope here and can’t be discounted at larger odds.

Last but not least, Billy Lee flies over from Ireland to partner Aidan Fogarty’s Forever In Dreams. A Listed winner over this course and distance in May, she ran a cracking race in the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot when second to Advertise. She was leading at the furlong pole and the winner had to work hard to get past here and she is another who could have some more improvement in her.