Big Mojo can Sprint to Cup success at Haydock

BIG Mojo can secure victory in the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (3.35pm) at Haydock Park this afternoon.

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Mick Appleby’s three-year-old can finally land a first success at the top level in the Group One feature at the Merseyside track.

The son of Mohaather won the Group Three Molecombe Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last year and was then second in the Group Two Flying Childers at York before coming home fourth, beaten just over a length in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar last November.

Big Mojo showed he had trained on and stepped up to six furlongs on his seasonal return, won at Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at the end of April. He was then fourth behind Symbol Of Honour over course and distance at Haydock in May in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes. He was a shade unlucky that day at Haydock, having been denied a clear run two furlongs from home on Merseyside.

It was a similar case at Royal Ascot when he had nowhere to go behind a wall of horses when seventh in the Commonwealth Cup.

But he bounced back to something near his best when just beaten by the reopposing No Half Measures in the Group One July Cup at Newmarket.

Dropped back down to the minimum distance, he was a bit slowly away and didn’t have much chance back at Goodwood in the King George Stakes. He did, though, stay on well enough to be fifth - two lengths behind — winner Jm Jungle - that day and the return to six furlongs can see him in an even better light.

He is set to be ridden by Godolphin’s number jockey William Buick, for the first time and it could be a shrewd booking.

Big Mojo has done most of his running on a sound surface, but he has shaped as though he will handle softer conditions and the easier surface at Goodwood wasn’t the reason for his defeat last time.