'It’s really exciting to be pitching up against the big boys' - Rage Of Bamby primed for Group 1 tilt after Sprint Cup supplementary

The team behind Rage Of Bamby are relishing the opportunity of taking on the firepower of Wathnan, Shadwell and Ballydoyle in Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock after supplementing the Hackwood Stakes winner for a first crack at Group 1 company.

The Eve Johnson Houghton-trained five-year-old mare finished fourth behind More Thunder in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last time, with connections on Monday paying the £20,000 supplementary fee to enter the £400,000 contest.

Rage Of Bamby is a 20-1 shot with the sponsors, with fellow supplementary Sky Majesty, trained by William Haggas, priced at 9-1 on the back of a Group 3 win at Naas.

Sam Hoskins, who runs Hot To Trot Racing, owners of Rage Of Bamby, said: "We know we’re tilting at windmills, but you never know what’ll happen in the sprint division at the moment and on her day she’s very good. You don’t know until you try and there isn’t a Group 2 over six furlongs for the remainder of the season.

"We lease her off Kildaragh Stud in Ireland and they’re very sporting to keep her in training. We want to repay them and have a go at a big one. We have 80 members in the syndicate, so we’ll have a big group there, and it’s really exciting to be pitching up against the big boys."

Rage Of Bamby (left) and Sky Majesty have both been supplemented for the Sprint Cup

Lazzat, who is one of three possible runners for Wathnan Racing, heads the betting at 2-1 with Betfair Sportsbook and Hoskins is excited to battle it out with his long-time friend Jerome Reynier, who trains the favourite.

He said: "Many years ago Jerome and I studied together in Ireland and we’re good friends. I had a couple of cheap horses in training with him when he started, so it’s great he’s done so well and it’ll be fun taking each other on.

"It just shows that you can get involved without having a considerable amount of money and still compete. It’s not a science and it’s thrilling to have a go and take on horses who cost hundreds of thousands and have proven it."

There are 22 horses remaining in contention for the Haydock feature, with July Cup winner No Half Measures and Almeraq also prominent in the market.

A big group of owners celebrated Rage Of Bamby’s Hackwood Stakes 33-1 victory at Newbury and that is one of the reasons for setting their sights on a first try at a Group 1 race.

Hoskins said: "It’s been an amazing journey, especially after the first two runs this season because we didn’t know where we were going. The entry for this was before we ran at York, so it would have been pretty bold to have made the entry in a Group 1 having been beaten out of sight on her first two runs. 

"We felt we couldn’t justify it, which has meant we’ve had to supplement. It’s a big cost, but she did win the Hackwood and we wouldn’t have done it had we not won there."

Harry Eustace is far from certain of running 8-1 shot Time For Sandals, who provided the Newmarket trainer with his second Group 1 success in three days at Royal Ascot. The three-year-old filly could wait for the Flying Five at the Curragh next Sunday if the Haydock ground is too soft.

Eustace said: "Time For Sandals will be left in the Sprint Cup but whether she goes is dependent on how much rain they get. There are a lot of soft-ground-type horses among the entries so we'll have to see but alternatively there is the Flying Five at the Curragh. Kieran Shoemark has been booked to ride."

Mickael Barzalona and Calandagan beat Kalpana (Oisin Murphy) to win the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Arc favourite one of 14 entered in September Stakes

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe ante-post favourite Kalpana has been entered in Saturday's Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton (1.35), a race she won 12 months ago before going on to win the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day.

Trained by Andrew Balding, the four-year-old is a general 6-1 market leader for the Arc next month and this is likely to set her up for the Longchamp showpiece. She is one of 14 entered in the opener at Kempton, with Palladium, Absurde and Giavellotto also potential runners.

Kalpana has not won since scoring at Ascot last October, but she produced a career-best effort in defeat when going down by a length to Calandagan in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July.

Betfair Sprint Cup entries

Annaf Michael Appleby
Art Power Tim Easterby
Beauvatier Yann Barberot
Diligent Harry Clive Cox
Inisherin Kevin Ryan
James's Delight Clive Cox
Kind Of Blue James Fanshawe
Lazzat Jerome Reynier
My Mate Alfie Ger Lyons
Run To Freedom Henry Candy
Ain't Nobody Kevin Ryan
Almeraq William Haggas
Big Mojo Michael Appleby
Whistlejacket Aidan O'Brien
Flora Of Bermuda Andrew Balding
Nighteyes David O'Meara
No Half Measures Richard Hughes
Rage Of Bamby Eve Johnson Houghton
Celandine Ed Walker
Sayidah Dariyan Richard Hughes
Sky Majesty William Haggas
Time For Sandals Harry Eustace

Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Haydock 3.35, Saturday)
Betfair: 2 Lazzat, 8 No Half Measures, Sayidah Dariyan, Time For Sandals, 9 Sky Majesty, 10 Almeraq, 12 Kind Of Blue, 14 bar.

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