Minzaal favourite to land first Group One in Sprint Cup at Haydock

Minzaal will bid to get an elusive Group One alongside his name in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Owen Burrows’ charge has placed at the highest level on multiple occasions, finishing third in the Middle Park as a juvenile, third in last year’s British Champions Sprint at three and then chasing home Highfield Princess in the Maurice de Gheest earlier this month.

With his French conqueror and subsequent Nunthorpe victor absent from the list of contenders for the Haydock contest, Minzaal heads the ante-post betting for the six-furlong feature.

Burrows – who hit the Group One target for the first time with Hukum in the Coronation Cup – believes the four-year-old has shown the kind of form and consistency necessary to hit the heights and hopes he will rise to the challenge.

He said: "Minzaal has shown a high level of ability over the three years he has raced and has been knocking on the door of a Group One.

"From myself and my team’s point of view, I’d love to get his head in front in a Group One and he would be a valuable horse then.

"He has run some very solid races this year. I was happy enough with him at York as he had been a bit slow to come to hand and I knew that race would switch him on and it did.

"We tried something at Royal Ascot in putting the cheekpieces on and trying to ride him more prominently, but it didn’t pay off. He then went and won the Hackwood before finishing second in France behind an exceptional filly in Highfield Princess.

"He is pretty versatile and I wouldn't have too many worries about the track"

"It would be great if he could get his head in front in a Group One as he been placed at that level at two, three and four."

He added: "We hope they go a nice genuine gallop. He has shown a likeness