Big Mojo soars to Sprint Cup success

Big Mojo sprang a minor surprise as he ran out a 16-1 winner of the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Trained by Mick Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Big Mojo had finished a narrow second in the July Cup on his penultimate run but he unleashed a telling effort in the final furlong to get his head in front on Merseyside.

Last year’s second Kind Of Blue filled the runner-up spot again, with fellow Wathnan Racing-owned runner Flora Of Bermuda third while favourite Lazzat finished unplaced in the same silks.

Rage Of Bamby set the early pace up the nearside rail, with all the first three home racing up the same strip, while Lazzat was more towards the middle of the track.

The stands’ side clearly held the advantage coming into the final furlong and the strong finish of Big Mojo saw him pull a length and a quarter clear at the line, with just a nose separating the Wathnan pair.

Big Mojo was so full of running, it took Buick a good distance to pull up after the line and he told ITV Racing: “The hardest job was getting him to the start and pulling him up!

“He’s just a real sprinter – he’s got two speeds. He was lovely and smooth throughout the race and I really didn’t have a moment of worry.

“We got a nice tow into the race until about halfway and then off he went and made his own way home.”