Aga Khan Studs' exciting Group 1 winner Samangan could be supplemented for Haydock Sprint Cup

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Sunday's Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Samangan could be heading to Haydock next month, with the Aga Khan Studs team and trainer Francis Graffard leaning towards supplementing their Group 1 winner for the Betfair Sprint Cup.

The son of Blue Point held off the late charge of Wathnan's Division to land the Maurice de Gheest – run over the unusual distance of six and a half furlongs – underlining his ability on both good to firm ground and a straight track.

"He’s taken the race well and a race that’s come on our radar is the Haydock Sprint Cup," said the Aga Khan Studs' racing manager in France Nemone Routh. "It falls quite well in terms of timing and it’s six furlongs on a straight track. 

"But we’d need to have decent ground there and he wouldn’t go if it was soft. He’s not in the race so we’d have to supplement but that seems like a logical option."

Both Division and Sunday's third-placed finisher, the Patrice Cottier-trained Stolen Kiss, are among the entries for the £400,000 highlight of Haydock's Flat season, which was suspended for eight weeks to allow for remedial work after Friendly Soul put her foot in a hole in May. 

• 'It got tight but it's a wonderful victory' - Graffard hails super Samangan as Division just misses out in Prix Maurice de Gheest 

A dual Group winner over six furlongs at two, Samangan was stretched out to seven for his first start of the season in the Prix Djebel, and was being prepared for the 2,000 Guineas when showing signs of a minor infection following his final piece of work. 

In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's victory Graffard pointed to going up in trip by half a furlong for the Prix de la Foret as the ideal scenario, but underlined that soft or heavy ground at Longchamp in October would be a major concern. 

Routh added: "The Foret would be a good race for him as well but if it gets too soft then I don’t think we’d run him, and he’s also in the Champions Sprint at Ascot, where the same applies. 

"We’ll definitely keep an eye on Haydock and if the ground were to come up good, and the horse was in good form, I think that would be his next stop."

Betfair Sprint Cup, Haydock September 5
Betfair: 6 Comanche Brave, Satono Reve, 8 Thesecretadversary, 10 Almeraq, Mission Central, Flora Of Bermuda, 12 Coppul, American Affair, 14 Big Mojo, Lake Forest, 16 Division, 25 bar

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