'It'd be great to get that Group 1 win' - Marco Ghiani out to repay owner's faith on supplemented Sprint Cup hope Mill Stream

Marco Ghiani has thanked the owner of Mill Stream for keeping faith in him following his six-month cocaine ban and is out to repay that trust in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup after the three-year-old was supplemented for the Haydock Group 1.

Billionaire owner Peter Harris on Monday paid the £20,000 fee for Mill Stream to take his chance, which has given Ghiani an opportunity to secure his first top-level win.

The retained rider for leisure tycoon and former trainer Harris, Ghiani returned to action in the spring and has ridden Mill Stream on each of his last five starts.

The former champion apprentice said on Monday: "If you want to do something in life, you want to do it the best you can. It cannot be better than doing it in Group 1s as they are the pinnacle of your career.

"It's always special to ride in a Group 1 and this lad deserves to be there. He's shown this year that he's very good and I'm very excited to ride him. I rode him this morning and he seems to be in good order. He's got a good chance and it'd be great to get that Group 1 win for both of us."

Mill Stream is 14-1 with the race sponsors to give Ghiani, whose biggest victories have come in Group 3s and in the 2021 Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, his breakthrough at the highest level.

Marco Ghiani: former champion apprenticeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ghiani said about Harris: "I've been really lucky that he's given me the chance after the break I had. All of his horses are nice, with lovely pedigrees. To have that chance to get that top-level win on the board with one of his horses is amazing."

Mill Stream began this season with three defeats, including when a well-beaten sixth in the Sandy Lane Stakes over course and distance in May, but thrived at Deauville last month.

He stormed to a Listed success before another easy win in the Group 3 Prix de Meautry, and Ghiani has been taken by his rapid progress.

He said: "When he came back at Haydock, it was his first run and he needed that; he was quite stuffy. But he ran really well after at York and Newmarket, where he was just touched off carrying top weight – there was a massive difference in weight.

"I didn't expect him to win the Listed race like he did at Deauville, though, and I felt he improved even more in the Group 3 last time, so there might be even more to come."

Mill Stream was one of two horses to be added to the Sprint Cup, along with the George Boughey-trained Believing.

Commonwealth and July Cup hero Shaquille heads the betting with Betfair Sportsbook at 10-11, with Kinross and Spycatcher also notable among the 23 who remain in contention.

Betfair Sprint Cup (3.35 Haydock, Saturday)

Betfair Sportsbook: 10-11 Shaquille, 9-2 Kinross, 10 Spycatcher, 12 Sacred, 14 Mill Stream, Regional, 16 Lezoo, 20 bar

Read more:

Two supplemented for Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock with Shaquille and Kinross among 23 in contention 

'He's as well as I've seen him' - Shaquille warning to Sprint Cup rivals as Julie Camacho yard shrugs off recent form

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