Owen Burrows is hoping for a double 'blue and white' victory on Merseyside this Saturday with Minzaal bidding for glory in the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday.
Lambourn trainer Burrows is an Everton FC fan. And with the Blues taking on Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in the early kick-off on Saturday, Burrows will be hoping for a boost before the Group One Sprint Cup down the road at Haydock later on in the day.
Minzaal, who carries the famous blue and white silks of Shadwell Estate Stud, was among the 19 entries for Haydock's biggest Flat race of the season and is Paddy Power and Betfair's 9-2 favourite.
And Burrows admits it would be the “perfect weekend” if the four-year-old can land a first Group One and his beloved Everton could also grab a first Premier League victory of the campaign on the same day.
Burrows said: “I would much prefer Minzaal to be winning the Sprint Cup as being an Everton fan we don’t have much to celebrate at the moment!
“Minzaal has shown a high level of ability over the three years he has raced and he has been knocking on the door of a Group One.
“From myself and my team’s point of view I’d love to get his head in front in a Group One and he would be a valuable horse then.
“If I don’t manage to catch the result at the track the drive back from Haydock Park with Radio 5 Live on could be interesting.
“If the football results come on and Everton had managed to beat Liverpool and we win the Sprint Cup it wouldn’t be far off a perfect weekend.”
The son of Mehmas will be running for a fifth time lucky at the top level in the six-furlong contest at Haydock. So far his best effort was on his most recent start when he was second to subsequent Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Highfield Princess in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest, over six-and-a-half furlongs at Deauville earlier this month.
Minzaal had been down the field on his only other Group One run this season, when 13th in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. He was also third in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Stakes at York on his seasonal return, but did win the Group Three Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.
Burrows, who is eyeing a second Group One win of the season following Hukum's victory in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, added: “He has run some very solid races this year. I was happy enough with him at York as he had been a bit slow to come to hand and I knew that race would switch him on and it did.
“We tried something at Royal Ascot in putting the cheekpieces on and trying to ride him more prominently but it didn’t pay off. He then went and won the Hackwood before finishing second in France behind an exceptional filly in Highfield Princess.
“It would be great if he could get his head in front in a Group One as he been placed at that level at two, three and four.”
Injury saw Minzaal miss a large part of last season but he ended the 2021 campaign when third in the Group One QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot. Burrows said: “He showed a little bit of inexperience first time at Ascot at two and he then won in a hack canter at Salisbury. We stepped him up to Group Two company in the Gimcrack and he won that well before things didn’t pan out in the Middle Park.
“Unfortunately he picked up a little injury in the winter in his stable so we didn’t see him until the back end of last year. I thought it was a massive performance to finish third in a Group One on the back of the preparation he had.
“He has been a very laid back character and a pleasure to train. As a sprinter, they can be a little bit hot but he is not like that.
“A prime example is he went to France a few weekends ago and lost one kilo that is the type of horse he is. He takes his racing great.
“The only time he comes alive is when you leg the jockey up at the races. He has got a wonderful temperament and you would much rather have horses like that.”
Minzaal's main market rival in the Sprint Cup is Charlie Appleby's Platinum Jubilee Stakes hero Naval Crown.
The four-year-old – who was also runner-up to Alcohol Free in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket last month – is a 5-1 chance with most bookmakers. He was fifth behind Highfield Princess and Minzaal at Deauville on his most recent start.
Last year's winner Emaraaty Ana, from the Kevin Ryan stable, is also entered and is a best-priced 7-1 with most firms. The six-year-old has not won since last September but was third in the five-furlong Nunthorpe at York earlier this month.
Other entries include Hugo Palmer's course and distance scorer Brad The Brief, who is a 12-1 chance with Ladbrokes, and is bidding for a hat-trick following that win at Haydock and in a Group Two at the Curragh; another course and distance scorer Rohaan – a 9-1 chance for David Evans; and the Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross – who has also triumphed at the Merseyside track in the past – and scored over seven furlongs at York on his most recent outing.
The Sprint Cup is the feature on day three of Haydock's September meeting. Saturday's seven-race card also features the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes and the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap. Gates open at 11.15am with the first race, the Listed Betfair Daily Tips On Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes, due off a 1.15pm and the finale, the Extra Places Any Day With Betfair Handicap scheduled for 5.14pm. For more information and to buy tickets for all three days at Haydock – with prices starting at £15 in the Be Friendly Enclosure on Saturday – go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/sprint-cup-celebration/sprint-cup-day/
Betfair Sprint Cup (Betfair odds): 9-2 Minzaal, 5-1 Naval Crown, 7-1 Emaraaty Ana, 7-1 Kinross, 9-1 Brad The Brief, 9-1 Rohaan, 12-1 Art Power, 12-1 Go Bears Go, 16-1 Harry Three, 20-1 Castle Star, 20-1 Dragon Symbol, 20-1 Khaadem, 25-1 Hala Hala Athmani, 33-1 Chil Chil, 40-1 Dubawi Legend, 40-1 Flaming Rib, 40-1 Great Ambassador, 40-1 Umm Kulthum, 66-1 Ventura Diamond.
