Weather could impact Betfair Sprint Cup

A potential fourth meeting of the year between the 3-year-old Group 1 sprint winners Advertise and Ten Sovereigns in Saturday’s Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park depends on the British weather.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has warned that Ten Sovereigns may miss the six-furlong race if the ground is too soft. Rain is forecast leading to the race.

As of Thursday, Advertise was the 3-1 favorite to win his third Group 1 race of the year in the $366,000 Sprint Cup, run on a straightaway course. He has been in excellent form in sprints since finishing 15th in the English 2000 Guineas at a mile at Newmarket on May 4.

Trained by Martyn Meade, Advertise won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds at six furlongs at Royal Ascot on June 21, a race in which Ten Sovereigns was favored and finished fourth.

After finishing second in the Group 1 July Cup at six furlongs at Newmarket on July 3 behind Ten Sovereigns, Advertise beat older horses for the first time in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at 6 1/2 furlongs at Deauville, France, on Aug. 4.

Ten Sovereigns followed his win in the July Cup with a sixth-place finish in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York Racecourse last month. Ten Sovereigns was fifth in the 2000 Guineas in May.

The Betfair Sprint Cup drew a field of 13. Khadeem, another 3-year-old, is also rated as a leading contender.

Khadeem, trained by Charlie Hills, was seventh in the Commonwealth Cup, but rebounded to finish second in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on July 20 and won the 27-runner Stewards’ Cup Handicap at six furlongs at Goodwood on Aug. 3.