We may have a small field for the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock Park on Saturday 5th September, with only eight runners heading to the 6f start. However, it looks a hugely competitive race on paper, with pretty much all the octet heading to Lancashire believing they can land the prize.

Our tipster Steve Chambers previews the 2026 Sprint Cup, where he looks at all the latest odds and trends, before picking his 1-2-3 for the big race.

2026 Sprint Cup Runners 

Mick Appleby’s Big Mojo romped to victory at 16/1 to land this prize 12 months ago and the classy sprinter is back to try and retain his crown. He enjoyed a drop down to Group 3 company last time out at the Curragh, where he tasted success, but a step back up to the top level is going to test him,

A shock 25/1 winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June, Almeraq failed to follow that up when down the field in the July Cup at Newmarket. However, he’s been given a decent break off the track, so is entitled to be towards the head of the betting. James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue finished down the field in that aforementioned Royal Ascot contest, but is a former Group 1 winner. Soft ground could be the key to him and he’s another leading player.

Clive Cox’s Coppull excelled over seven furlongs last time out when winning the Hungerford Stakes, but had often been found out over six furlongs. Third in the City Of York Stakes last time out over seven furlongs, Andrew Balding’s Marvelman has been hugely consistent this term and showed when second in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle that he has potential over six furlongs.

Paborus, James’s Delight and Aramram complete the line-up, and all add depth to the race.

2026 Sprint Cup Racecard

Sprint Cup Trends 2026

Check out some of the key stats and trends for the Sprint Cup:

2026 Sprint Cup Tips 

A wide open renewal of the Sprint Cup that could see ground conditions have a huge impact on the result. Kind Of Blue is the one that has top notch winning form on soft going, and if James Fanshawe can get his sprinter firing on all cylinders then he can land the prize. Almeraq has been impressive this season and can chase him home, whilst Coppull will be doing all his best work at the finish and can grab third spot.

FAQ

When and where is the Sprint Cup?

The Sprint Cup will take place at Haydock racecourse on Saturday 5th September 2026 at 3.40pm.

How can I watch the Sprint Cup on Saturday?

The Sprint Cup is live on ITV at 3.40pm on Saturday.

When were the Sprint Cup tips published?

The tips for the Sprint Cup were published at 10.30am on Friday 4th September.

Commercial notice: This article on GG.co.uk contains affiliate links. The offers we promote come from operators that we trust and our experts have first-hand experience dealing with. If you open an account through one of these affiliate links then GG will earn revenue. However, we ensure that the money earned goes back into improving and enhancing our coverage of horse racing and other sports, as we look to provide an excellent service to our growing audience.