SOME sporting weekend isn’t it? And that’s just the racing, before you even go thinking about the golf or the rugby or the soccer, or the World Rowing Championships in Serbia. (Well done to Siobhán McCrohan yesterday by the way.)

There are Group 1 races on both sides of the Irish Sea this weekend, six of them on this side, two today, four tomorrow, on the most important weekend of flat racing on the Irish calendar, one of them on the far side, the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock today, for which Shaquille is a short-priced favourite.

He deserves to be too, the Commonwealth Cup winner, the July Cup winner. It is still fairly remarkable that he was able to win the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June as well as he did, given the ground that he gave away at the start.

He was slowly away in the July Cup at Newmarket last time too, even if he didn’t cede as much ground as he did at Ascot. He operates under the premise that, when the stalls open, you go up in the air, just a little, before you go forward.

It doesn’t seem to matter to him though. His superiority over his rivals in those two Group 1 races has been such that he has been able to give way the ground.

It does leave him vulnerable though, and his reticence at the start has been influential in determining his hold-up racing style. When he won a novice stakes at York last October, he made all the running.

Correct favourite

He is the correct favourite for today’s feature race in Britain for sure, but when you are talking about an odds-on shot, you are entitled to look for potential vulnerabilities.

There is always that worry at the start, and Haydock’s sprint track is a sharp, flat, sprint track. There is no uphill finish, like there is on Newmarket’s July Course, and it is not stiff, like Ascot’s six furlongs. He will not want to be giving too much ground away at the start.

And it’s not easy to win the Commonwealth Cup and the July Cup and the Sprint Cup. Since the inception of the Commonwealth Cup eight years ago, no horse has done it.

The inaugural Commonwealth Cup winner Muhaarar won the July Cup by a nose and then won the Prix Maurice de Gheest. He didn’t contest the Haydock Sprint Cup.

Quiet Reflection won the Sprint Cup all right, but that was after she could only finish third in the July Cup. Eqtidaar was beaten in both. Advertise was beaten by Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup and was a late scratching from the Sprint Cup. Golden Horde finished third in both the July Cup and the Sprint Cup.

It’s a big ask for a three-year-old.

You can make cases for plenty of Shaquille’s rivals today. Sacred was beaten just a neck in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee and is dropping back down to six furlongs now after finishing fifth in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes over seven last time, and Mill Stream comes on here on a high, having won a listed race and a Group 3 race in France, and Saint Lawrence was only beaten a half a length in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last time after winning the Wokingham.

Most interesting

But Regional is the most interesting rival at the prices. Third in the Stewards Cup last season, Ed Bethall’s horse has reached a new level this term.

Impressive in winning a good five-furlong handicap on his debut this season at York’s Dante meeting off a mark of 100, he stepped up in grade next time and won a listed race at Haydock over five furlongs.

He ran really well in the Nunthorpe too last time. He was smartly away and he travelled well just behind the pace but, ultimately, he couldn’t match Live In The Dream of Highfield Princess or Bradsell for speed.

He kept on well all the way to the line though, missing fourth place by just a head. The step back up to six furlongs today should be a positive.

Fast ground and a sharp six furlongs could be close to optimum for him now. He goes well at Haydock too, he won a handicap there on his first run for Ed Bethell as a three-year-old, and he won that listed race on his second run this season on his only other run there.

Callum Rodriguez gets on well with him, his record on him reads 115, and his high draw shouldn’t be a negative.

Superior Mile

Light Infantry is a worthy favourite for the opening contest at Haydock, the Group 3 Superior Mile. He ran well for a long way in the Queen Anne Stakes before finishing a good third, and he finished third last time too in the Prix Jacques le Marois. He should appreciate this drop back down to Group 3 company.

But Regal Reality is shaping like an under-rated horse these days. He is eight years old now, he finished third in this race as a four-year-old when he was with Cheveley Park, before most of today’s rivals were born, but he has proven this season that he retains lots of his enthusiasm.

A good winner of the Group 3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby day, he put up another good performance last time in finishing a close-up third in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last time.

He did well to get as close as he did too under his Group 3 penalty. He raced off the pace initially in a race in which the pace held up well, but he finished off his race well to get to within a half a length of Mighty Ulysses and Embesto, who both raced handily and who dead-heated for first place.

He has a nice draw in stall two, along the inside, he goes well on fast ground and he goes into the race in good form. He could go well.

Regal Reality, 1 point win, 6/1 (generally), 1.50 Haydock

Regional, 1 point win, 14/1

(generally), 3.35 Haydock