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

Connections of Believing and Mill Stream have paid the £20,000 supplementary fee to enter Saturday's Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock (3.35), with 23 in contention to run at the five-day confirmation stage.

Believing, who is owned by Highclere Racing and trained by George Boughey, was last seen winning the Listed Flying Fillies' Stakes at Pontefract last month, while the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Mill Stream has won back-to-back races in Deauville, including at Group 3 level in the Prix de Meautry.

Chapple-Hyam said: "Mill Stream has come out of his Deauville race in good order, so we have decided to take the opportunity to run him again while he is good form as there are no other options for him until Champions Day."

July Cup winner Shaquille was among those to feature in the confirmations and he is the 10-11 favourite with the race sponsors.

Trained by Julie Camacho, the three-year-old backed up his Group 1 success in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot with a classy performance at Newmarket last time out.

Shaquille was winning for the sixth time on the bounce, with his only defeat coming in the Acomb Stakes at York in August 2022.

Kinross, who is trained by Ralph Beckett, is one of Shaquille's main rivals in the market having secured back-to-back Group 2 victories in the Lennox at Goodwood and City of York last month, both over seven furlongs. The trainer could also saddle Lezoo in this six-furlong contest.

Shaquille: leads the market for Saturday's Group 1 at HaydockCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Kinross was third behind Shaquille in the July Cup, split by the reopposing Run To Freedom for Henry Candy. Khaadem and Vadream also contested the Group 1 at Newmarket and could line up at Haydock on Saturday.

Barry Orr, spokesman for Betfair, said: "Shaquille is the star turn and, even with the stable's form a cause for concern, he is clear favourite topping the betting at a shade of odds-on. 

"It’s great to see Jane Chapple-Hyam roll the dice and supplement the fast-improving Mill Stream. He's another three-year-old who is sure to have his supporters at 14-1."

Karl Burke, who won this race with Quiet Reflection in 2016, could be represented by the consistent Spycatcher, who finished second in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last month, and Summer Stakes winner Swingalong. 

Group 2 winner Sacred is still in contention as the sole representative for William Haggas. Aidan O'Brien leads the challenge from Ireland with The Antarctic and Aesop's Fables both left in at this stage.

Out of the initial 29 entries for the Group 1, Art Power, Azure Blue, Brad The Brief, Flaming Rib, Ocean Quest, Sense Of Duty, Shartash and Zain Claudette were scratched. 

A maximum field of 17 will line up on Saturday, with the lowest-rated runners being eliminated should a higher number than that be declared on Thursday. 

Sprint Cup confirmations

Aesop's Fables
Annaf
Believing
Garrus
Happy Romance
Khaadem
Kinross
Lezoo
Mill Stream
Mitbaahy
Regional
Rohaan
Run To Freedom
Rumstar
Sacred
Saint Lawrence
Sandrine
Spycatcher
Shaquille
Swingalong
Shouldvebeenaring
The Antarctic
Vadream

Betfair Sprint Cup (3.35 Haydock, Saturday)

Betfair: 10-11 Shaquille, 9-2 Kinross, 10-1 Spycatcher, 12 Sacred, 14 Mill Stream, Regional, 16 Lezoo, 20 Run To Freedom, St Lawrence, Sandrine, Vadream, 25 Khaadem, Mitbaahy, Swingalong, 33 bar

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