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

William Haggas seems optimistic Relief Rally, narrowly denied Royal Ascot glory in dramatic fashion last month, can go one better in the Weatherbys Super Sprint (3.35) at Newbury on Saturday.

Haggas trains the juvenile for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and nearly provided them with victory in the Queen Mary, in which their runner was a nose behind US raider Crimson Advocate.

The Newmarket trainer was quick to nominate the Super Sprint as Relief Rally's next target, and said: "She got the entry for the Super Sprint because she was bred to be quick and cost less than the ceiling £65,000, so it's been on our radar for a while.

"She got a small penalty for her Salisbury win [before Ascot], but it would have been a much bigger one if she had won the Queen Mary, although we would have been happy to have taken one.

"The American filly was obviously very quick in the Queen Mary, but we were unfortunate not to win as she was in front a stride before the line and in front again a stride after it, but not on the line."

It is the 30th anniversary of Weatherbys' sponsorship of the Super Sprint, which Haggas won in 2000 with Superstar Leo.

He added: "Unlike Superstar Leo, who had no weight despite having won the Norfolk Stakes, Relief Rally has 9st, but if she's good enough to win on Saturday I think she'll go for the Lowther, then the Flying Childers, which Superstar Leo also won, and then the Abbaye, where Superstar Leo was second to Namid.

"Whether she'll train on nobody knows, but she's very like another Kodiac filly we had called Besharah, who won the Lowther Stakes at two and then showed some good form without winning again at three."

The Super Sprint, which is worth £250,000 and staged over 5f, is for horses bought at certain sales for less than £65,000 and in Relief Rally Haggas has Paddy Power's 5-2 favourite.

Weatherbys Super Sprint (Newbury, Saturday)

Paddy Power: 5-2 Relief Rally, 7-2 Son Of Corballis, 4 Juniper Berries, 5 Bobsleigh, 8 La Guarida, Supersonic Man, 12 Beenham, World Of Darcy, 14 Heed The Call, 16 Dapperling, The Camden Colt, 20 Rosario, 25 Payment In Kind, Ziggy’s Phoenix, 33 Call Glory, Liv My Life, 40 Mr Baloo, 50 Crooked Crown, Robbo, 66 Fengari, Instant Recall, 100 Relentless Warrior, 200 Jolly Sailor

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