Cox has a strong card in Sprint Cup

Posted by Andy at Bet1015.com on 06/09/2013

The Betfred Sprint Cup will be the highlight of this weekend's racing as it is a Group 1 encounter that features some of the best horses over the distance of six furlongs.

One horse that is sure to be a popular bet is the talented grey, Lethal Force as this colt has notched up victories in the July Cup at Newmarket and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this year.

The four-year-old has shown that he is one of the best around and if on top of his game, it might be tough for the rest of the field to beat this col.

It is also worth noting that Clive Cox's charge competed in the Maurice De Gheest Group 1 Stakes at Deauville last month and managed an impressive second place, so he certainly comes to Haydock this weekend in excellent spirits.

Cox also has Reckless Abandon competing in this one, which means the trainer has a very strong card as both are serious contenders. The three-year-old has only been in action twice this year and was last seen finishing five at Royal Ascot, but few can deny the colt has bags of quality.

In 2012, he managed five wins from as many races and a return to that kind of form will see Reckless Abandon involved come the closing stages.

Cox is clearly excited about his chances of training a winner in this famous encounter, but he does want to rain to stay away.

He said: "They are two very high-class horses, but I'm very concerned about the weather forecast.

"Hopefully they don't get as much (rain) as they might do.

"Reckless is a bit more proven on a slower surface of the two so it would be a bigger concern for Lethal Force. He is in great form, so I hope it's all right."

In order for one of these two to win, they have to put in one of their best performances to date as this field really is full of quality. When looking at the contenders, you can see the likes of Gordon Lord Byron, Garswood and Slade Power all hold an entry.

However, Cox's horses have shown what they're capable of in the past, especially Lethal Force in recent trips. Adam Kirby is the man doing the steering on the current favourite for the Sprint Cup and if he gets his tactics spot-on, we might just see the grey in the winner's enclosure once more.

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