IT is difficult to find a betting angle into the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock today. Starman is a warm favourite, but it is difficult to pick holes.

The Duke of York Stakes winner, the July Cup winner, he was beaten in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time, but that was on soft ground over six and a half furlongs, and he did well to finish third.

Ed Walker’s horse should be happier back over the bare six furlongs today and, crucially, it looks like he will have the fast ground that he loves.

In the back of your mind is the fact that, strangely, no four-year-old has won the Sprint Cup since Red Clubs won it 14 years ago, and that, equally strangely perhaps, only one July Cup winner, Harry Angel, has won the Sprint Cup eight weeks later in the last decade.

You can make a case for the three-year-old Creative Force, and three-year-olds have won six of the last 10 renewals and five of the last seven, but Charlie Appleby’s horse is still surely better over seven furlongs than he is over six.

Soft ground

Glen Shiel would have been interesting on soft ground but, on the likely fast going, it is probably a race for watching.

There is a potential angle into the seven-furlong handicap at Ascot, however, because the balance of Cliffs Of Capri’s form suggests that he is a better horse at Ascot than he is anywhere else.

Some of his best runs have been at Ascot, including when he finished second in the International Handicap over today’s course and distance on King George day last year, and when he finished fourth in the same race this year.

Slowly away that day, he stayed on well on the near side to get up and take fourth place, less than two lengths behind the winner Danyah, who could be a group horse.

Mitigation

Cliffs Of Capri could finish only 13th in the Clipper Logistics Handicap at York last time, but there was mitigation. He was tightened up a little on the run to the turn that day, and that seemed to light him up, with the result that he was a little keen around the bend, where he was wider than ideal.

He was caught a bit flat-footed when they quickened early in the home straight, but he kept on well to finish four and a half lengths behind the winner Cruyff Turn, in a race in which – and at a meeting at which generally – the prominent racers did well.

That Clipper Logistics Handicap is working out well already. Fifth-placed Escobar was only beaten a neck by Aratus in a good handicap at Goodwood on Saturday, while eighth-placed Irish Admiral won a handicap at Redcar on Saturday evening.

The handicapper dropped Jamie Osborne’s horse by 1lb to a mark of 94 after York, which is 3lb lower than he was at the start of the season. More importantly though, he should be happier back at Ascot today than he was at York, and even a repeat of his run in the International Handicap should see him go close.

Candleford unexposed

It is not surprising that there are a few unexposed horses in the 12-furlong three-year-olds’ handicap 35 minutes earlier, but Candleford is more unexposed than most, and it looks like his chance has been under-rated a little by the market.

After shaping encouragingly in two maidens over 10 furlongs, William Haggas’ horse went to Windsor last time and he ran out an impressive winner of a novice stakes over the same distance. He did well that day, because he was forced wide as they left the back straight by the errant leader Tall Order, and he was forced wide again and clipped heels as they rounded the home turn.

He quickly got the better of his rival though and, despite still showing signs of greenness, he came away nicely to win by four lengths.

The runner-up Tall Order was given a rating of 80 after that, and he went and won his maiden at Haydock on Thursday, conceding the 5lb fillies’ allowance to the 79-rated Mellow Magic, and leaving her two and a half lengths behind in third.

Well handicapped

All of that suggests that Candleford could be a well-handicapped horse now on a mark of 85. As well as that, he was racing for just the third time in his life at Windsor, and he shaped as if he could come on again significantly for the experience.

Also, a half-brother to Atty Persse, who won a King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot over a mile and a half, he races like he could improve again for the step up to a mile and a half today.

William Haggas also runs Chalk Dream, who is also progressive, he has won his last two, and jockey bookings suggest that Queen Elizabeth’s horse is the stable’s number one.

However, there may not have been much between the two horses, Candleford’s inflated odds more than make up for that concern, and Adam Farragher is a good 5lb claimer who is riding well – his latest form figures read 241122 – and he has a strike rate of 24% for William Haggas this season.

Recommended

Candleford, 1 point win, 3.10 Ascot, 15/2 (generally)

Cliffs Of Capri, 1 point win, 3.45 Ascot, 6/1 (generally)