2023 Sprint Cup Tips - Two each-way selections against Shaquille

You can see the full betting for the 2023 Sprint Cup here on our website.

Shaquille has quickly become my favourite flat horse in training this year. I backed Julie Camacho's star in the Commonwealth and July Cups and he's most certainly a worthy favourite to land his third Cup on Saturday. 

10/11, however, isn't an appealing price, especially when Shaquille will face a capacity field featuring 17 rivals on Saturday. I'm going to back two each-way against the favourite, starting with my ante-post selection, LEZOO.

I was expecting Lezoo to shorten up significantly once it was confirmed that stablemate Kinross would not be making an appearance. Yet, even without Kinross in the market, Ralph Beckett's filly can still be backed at 16/1.

Beckett's filly has been drawn in either the lowest or highest gate on all three of her previous starts this season and Rossa Ryan's mount has, again, landed a tricky stall down in one. Historically, a high draw has been better than a low one in the Sprint Cup, but I still think that Lezoo has enough class to hit the frame in a Group One that, discounting Shaquille, looks wide open.

Charlie Hills used the Prix de Meautry as a stepping stone towards the Sprint Cup for GARRUS in 2021. Hill's grey ran in this Group One just six days after winning that Group Three out in France and the quick turnaround clearly took its toll, as a weak finish from Garrus was only good enough for seventh.

Ben Curtis' mount is no stranger to running well in Group Ones, with his best finish coming in last year's Prix Maurice de Gheest, where he was only beaten a length by Highfield Princess. Garrus has been in good form this season too, beating Commanche Falls to land the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on his reappearance, before a narrow defeat to this year's Prix Maurice de Gheest winner, King Gold over seven furlongs at Longchamp.

Garrus finished a decent second behind Mill Stream in this year's renewal of the Prix de Meautry 13 days ago, where Hills' seven-year-old was giving his younger rival five pounds at the weights. A two-week turnaround is more than manageable for an experienced sprinter like Garrus and Curtis will have been pleased with his draw on the high side of the track

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