HELLO Youmzain’s rider Kevin Stott told the press during the week that he thought that his horse should be clear favourite for this afternoon’s Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and, while there is a sense of well-he-would-wouldn’t-he, there is serious substance to the rider’s assertion.

For starters, Kevin Ryan’s horse won the race last year. He bounced out of the stalls that day, he quickly settled into a nice rhythm in front for James Doyle, he saw off the challenge of Invincible Army by the time they got to the furlong pole, and he kept on strongly through the final 200 yards to win nicely, by a half a length from The Tin Man, who was two lengths clear of the rest.