Eve Johnson Houghton pair on target for Super Sprint but trainer bemoans 'pesky' William Haggas

Eve Johnson Houghton is leaning on the strength of the Coventry Stakes form as an endorsement of Bobsleigh's chances in the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint (3.35) at Newbury on Saturday.

Johnson Houghton will also run Juniper Berries in the £250,000 event, but on Tuesday seemed to warm to the chances of Bobsleigh, a three-length sixth behind River Tiber in the Coventry.

The winner of the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom in June, the son of Elzaam will again be ridden by stable jockey Charlie Bishop at Newbury, with David Probert in line to partner Juniper Berries.

Both horses stretched their legs at the trainer's picturesque Oxfordshire headquarters on Tuesday morning, with Bishop on Bobsleigh and Steph Blackett aboard the Expert Eye filly Juniper Berries.

She is as big as 7-1 with William Hill for the Super Sprint, while the same firm rate Bobsleigh a 3-1 chance behind warm favourite Relief Rally, who is around the 6-4 mark.

"I don't know how it would have been if Charlie could have done the weight [8st 7lb] on Juniper," said Johnson Houghton. "That would have been up to him and I'd have left it to him, but I think he might have ridden her.

"That said, and as Charlie says, she's finished behind Relief Rally twice and we don't know about Bobsleigh, and he's rated higher too. I think the Coventry form is very strong – the seventh [Watch My Tracer] bolted up at Windsor under a penalty – and we don't know how good Bobsleigh is.

"The worry is dropping back to five furlongs from six in the Coventry. He has won over five and shows great pace, but it might be the undoing of him."

Juniper Berries (grey cap) stretches her legs under Steph BlackettCredit: JSC Comms

The Super Sprint, in its 30th year under the sponsorship of British racing's administrative arm Weatherbys, is for horses bought at certain sales for under £65,000.

Johnson Houghton, with a preference for ground on the quick side of good at Newbury this weekend, added: "If someone puts on a race with £122,000 to the winner and you've got a horse who cost €17,000 you should be running if you've got a chance, and he has got a chance, although we are worried about the trip."

Juniper Berries also ran at Royal Ascot, finishing fourth in the Queen Mary, in which the William Haggas-trained Relief Rally was second.

"It's that pesky William Haggas again," Johnson Houghton said. "I'm getting quite cross with him – he keeps finding ways to beat us and it's annoying me, and I've told him that!

"I told him it was unnecessary for Relief Rally to run at Salisbury when she beat us and I've told him again it's unnecessary for her to come to Newbury, but she looks like the one we all have to beat."

Weatherbys Super Sprint (3.35 Newbury, Saturday)

William Hill: 6-4 Relief Rally, 3 Bobsleigh, 5 Son Of Corballis, 7 Juniper Berries, 10 World Of Darcy, 12 La Guarida, Supersonic Man, 14 Rosario, 20 bar

Read these next:

'It's been on our radar for a while' - William Haggas points narrow Royal Ascot second Relief Rally at Super Sprint 

These are the nine fillies who remain in the running for Saturday's Irish Oaks at the Curragh 

Racing Post Members' Club: subscribe for just £9.99 this summer 

Do you want £200+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.