Belardo Back In Distance For Sprint Cup

Time/Date - 15.45hrs local time/Saturday, September 5, 2015
Racecourse/Country - Haydock Park/UK
Surface/Distance - Turf/6f

Belardo drops back to six furlongs for the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park, UK on Saturday, September 5 and is blinkered for the first time.

The Lope De Vega colt has finished seventh on his last two outings in Group One contests over a mile - the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 29 and the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, France, on August 16.

The three-year-old came fourth in the Irish Classic, the Group One Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas also over a mile, at the Curragh on May 23 and began the year by finishing eighth in the seven-furlong Group Three AON Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 18.

Belardo was successful on three of his five starts last season, headlined by an impressive two-length success in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October.

He also collected the Listed Denford Stud Stakes over the same distance at Newbury in August.

Belardo made a winning debut over six furlongs at York in June of last year.

His trainer Roger Varian said: "We are looking forward to running Belardo over six furlongs in the Haydock Sprint Cup.

"His recent runs over a mile seem to be stretching his stamina and blunting his speed.

"Belardo showed a lot of natural speed as a two-year-old and also does in his work.

"The blinkers should help him adjust to the different tempo of the race and I am hoping for an improved performance from him."

James Doyle takes the ride for a third time on Belardo, who is drawn in stall one.

Among the 16 other starters in the Betfred Sprint Cup are the multiple Group One winners Sole Power and Gordon Lord Byron, who won the race in 2013.

Godolphin has captured the Sprint Cup with Diktat (1999).