O'Brien hopeful of bold show from Sprint Cup runner Speak In Colours

The rain forecast at Haydock this week is unlikely to hinder Joseph O'Brien's 32Red Sprint Cup contender Speak In Colours, with the trainer hopeful of a bold show from the four-year-old.

Formerly with Marco Botti, Speak In Colours secured a first victory for new connections last time out when defeating sprinting stalwart Gordon Lord Byron in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh last month.

O'Brien believes there is more to come from the son of Excelebration, who is 20-1 for Saturday's Group 1, and said: "The Sprint Cup is the likely option and has been the plan since he won.

"He's won on good ground and has run well on quicker [ground] but I'd say he'll handle softer as well. Any rain at Haydock will probably help him. He's really progressed this year."

The ground at Haydock was described as good, good to soft in places on Tuesday, with more rain forecast through the week.

Having placed twice in Pattern company since joining O'Brien, Speak In Colours failed to fire when down the field in the Commonwealth Cup, but O'Brien added: "It was a funny race and he'd done nothing before so I've put a line through it."

Looking further afield, O'Brien outlined running plans for Ming and Master Of Reality. The latter, who is entered in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, is a new recruit for the trainer having been with Pascal Bary in France, and O'Brien said: "I'll probably go for a Group 3 with him on Irish Champions Weekend. We're getting to know him and Australia is an option."

On targets with Ming, who was last seen finishing sixth in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington, O'Brien added: "He might go to Canada for the Northern Dancer and has options in Australia.

"He was unlucky at Arlington as he got knocked down at the bottom of the straight and Billy Lee [jockey] said he was unlucky and could have been third. He's a good horse."

32Red Sprint Cup entries

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