Bated Breath: sprinter cut to 4-1 to break his Group 1 duck on Saturday
PICTURE: Martin LynchBated Breath cut to break Group 1 duck at Haydock
BATED BREATH is no bigger than 4-1 to break his Group 1 duck at Haydock on Saturday after the absence of a trio of leading fancies resulted in his price hardening up behind ante-post favourite Ortensia for the Betfred Sprint Cup.
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Excelebration, Hoof It and Pearl Secret were all taken out of the £225,000 contest over 6f at the five-day confirmation stage in which 18 possibles stand their ground.
Bated Breath started his season in scintillating style when breaking the 5f course record at Haydock in the Temple Stakes and punters believe he is now very much the biggest danger to multiple Group 1-winner Ortensia.
It is now evens either of those pair winning on Saturday with the Australian mare no bigger than 11-4.
French raiders have won the race twice since the turn of the millennium are their sole chance of adding to that tally lies with Wizz Kid, who chased home Moonlight Cloud in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on August 5 after a disappointing performance in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
John O'Connor, manager to owner Maeve Mahony, said: "She is in good form. She has spent the month up in Deauville and ran very well when second to Moonlight Cloud in the Prix Maurice de Gheest. She is now back at her base in Chantilly.
"She was disappointing at Royal Ascot and that is the only time we have been disappointed with her because she is normally very consistent. We don't know why exactly, but she didn't run her race.
"She has form at six furlongs when she was second in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot last year and that form would put her bang there on Saturday."
The going at Haydock Park was described as good on Monday. Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: "We had one millimetre of rain over the weekend which was nothing of note and the going is currently good.
"The forecast is for a warm and dry week. There is an outside chance of a light shower but we are basically set for a dry week."
The Betfred Sprint Cup is part of the sprint division of the Qipco British Champions Series.
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