There is plenty of quality racing to come this weekend, with Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup providing the headline event in Britain and some major prizes on offer further afield.
Friday gets things underway with flat racing from Ascot, Haydock and Kempton, alongside jumps racing at Bangor-on-Dee. Over in Ireland, there are meetings at Down Royal and Kilbeggan, before the quality steps up considerably on Saturday.
The Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes is the big British race of the weekend, with the six-furlong Group 1 taking place at Haydock on Saturday afternoon. However, there will also be plenty of attention on Kempton, where Constitution Hill returns to the Flat in the September Stakes. Having already shown that his talents extend beyond jumping, this represents his toughest Flat test so far.
Internationally, Saturday starts early with the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Sandown in Australia. Later in the day the focus switches to the United States, where Kentucky Downs stages the Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes, which carries a huge $3.5 million purse.
There is more Grade 1 action in America on Sunday. Saratoga stages the Hopeful Stakes for two-year-olds, while Del Mar has another important juvenile contest with the Del Mar Futurity.
Closer to home, York hosts the Garrowby Stakes, while one of Europe’s major middle-distance races takes place in Germany with the Grosser Preis von Baden. There is also racing from Sha Tin, which returns with the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup.
Monday brings more racing from Windsor, including the Winter Hill Stakes, while Kentucky Downs stages the Mint Millions Invitational Stakes. Tuesday has meetings at Goodwood, Leicester, Catterick and Bangor-on-Dee, plus the Listed Oyster Stakes at Galway.
After that, attention begins to turn towards Doncaster and the St Leger meeting, with the final British Classic of the season now just around the corner.
Big races this week
SATURDAY
7:15am Sandown (Australia) (Sky)
Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (Group 1)
5f, Flat Turf
2:50pm Kempton (ITV)
William Hill September Stakes (Group 3)
1m4f, All-Weather
3:40pm Haydock (ITV)
Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Group 1)
6f, Flat Turf
10:36pm Kentucky Downs
Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes (Grade 2)
1m2½f, Flat Turf
SUNDAY
6:30am Sha Tin (Sky)
HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (Group 3 Handicap)
6f, Flat Turf
2:25pm Baden-Baden
156th Grosser Preis von Baden (Group 1)
1m4f, Flat Turf
3:50pm York (Racing TV)
Starman At Tally Ho Stud Garrowby Stakes (Listed Race)
6f, Flat Turf
10:19pm Saratoga
Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes (Grade 1)
7f, Dirt
11:00pm Del Mar
Del Mar Futurity (Grade 1)
7f, Dirt
*All races above are listed in UK time.
Race Notes
2:50pm (Saturday 5 September) September Stakes - Kempton
There will be plenty of attention on Kempton’s September Stakes on Saturday, not least because Constitution Hill continues his unexpected Flat campaign in what is comfortably his toughest test so far.
Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old is unbeaten in two starts on the Flat, having won novice races at Southwell and Kempton, but this is a very different level. He now steps into Group 3 company over a mile and a half, with Billy Loughnane taking the ride.
The early favourite is Gethin, who already has winning form at Kempton and pushed Ombudsman close in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes earlier in the season. He was then fifth in the Eclipse, but a return to this track should suit and he brings some of the strongest recent form into the race.
Pride Of Arras is another interesting contender. Last year’s Dante and Great Voltigeur winner looked much more like himself when finishing second to Item in the York Stakes, and that form has since received a major boost through Item’s Juddmonte International success.
There is strength deeper in the field too. Tornado Alert is already a Group 1 winner in Germany.
For Constitution Hill, this should tell us much more about where he stands as a Flat horse. His first two victories were encouraging, but he now faces established Group performers rather than novice opposition. If he can get seriously involved here, the conversation around his Flat future becomes much more interesting.
On balance, Gethin looks the safest starting point, while Pride Of Arras and Tornado Alert both make plenty of appeal at bigger prices. Constitution Hill is the fascinating runner, but he now has to prove that his Flat winning run can survive a serious jump in class.
Selection: Gethin
Main danger: Pride Of Arras
Antepost Watch
The St Leger market is starting to take shape, with Christmas Day currently heading the betting at around 7/4.
The more interesting moves have come further down the list. Del Maro has been cut from 25/1 into 14/1, while Hatteen has also attracted support, shortening from 33/1 into 16/1.
Those are fairly significant changes at this stage, especially with the final field still to be settled. Christmas Day remains the obvious horse to beat in the market, but the support for Del Maro and Hatteen suggests both are being taken much more seriously than they were a short time ago.
Racing Syndicates
This week we take a closer look at Hambleton Racing through the story of Washington Heights, the sprinter shared by twelve owners who has taken them racing in England, Ireland, France, Sweden and Qatar. Bought for £24,000, he has won five races and earned more than £400,000.
But the interesting part of the story isn't simply his prize money. It is the stable visits, racecourse trips, updates from the yard and the experience of following the same horse with a small group of fellow owners.
If you've ever wondered what you actually get when you buy a share with a syndicate, this is a good example of what shared racehorse ownership can look like.
You can view the horses currently available for shares with Hambleton Racing here.
Betting Offers
Betfred is one of the best-known names in British betting, covering horse racing alongside a wide range of other sports.
For racing fans, Betfred offers markets across major UK, Irish and international meetings, from everyday cards through to the biggest races of the season. You can find win and each-way betting, ante-post markets and a range of other racing options.
Betfred also has a long association with British horse racing and currently sponsors several major races and meetings.
If you’re looking for another bookmaker to compare prices and racing markets, Betfred is well worth a look. New customers can also take advantage of a welcome offer when opening an account. T&Cs apply.
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Racing News
Here are a few racing updates that caught the eye this week.
Racing Legends - Galopin Des Champs
This week we pay tribute to Galopin Des Champs, one of the great staying chasers of the modern era, who sadly died this week at the age of ten, just days after his retirement from racing had been announced.
Trained by Willie Mullins and so closely associated with jockey Paul Townend, Galopin Des Champs won 12 Grade 1 races during a remarkable career. None were bigger than his back-to-back victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024.
Cheltenham was only part of his story. He won the Irish Gold Cup three years running from 2023 to 2025, twice won the Savills Chase and also claimed the Punchestown Gold Cup. In total, he won 15 of his 26 races and earned more than £1.9 million in prize-money.
His retirement had only been announced last week, with plans for him to begin a new life with Ruby Walsh's family and potentially go eventing with Ruby's daughter Isabelle. Tragically, he suffered a severe leg injury while in his field on Tuesday and could not be saved.
It is a desperately sad ending to the story of a horse who had given his connections and racing fans so many memorable afternoons.
Thanks for reading! Let’s catch up again next week.
Regards
The Newsletter Team
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