The sole Irish-trained possible runner in next Saturday's Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock is Joseph Murphy’s Gustavus Weston.

The five-year-old has never run outside Ireland before and his two big wins this season both came at the Curragh.

In May the son of Equiano won the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes and on August 8th he won the Group 3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint.

July Cup hero Starman is the likely favourite next Saturday. Ed Walker’s four-year-old is on course to attempt to become the third horse this century to win both races in the same season, after Dream Ahead (2011) and Harry Angel (2017).

The Archie Watson-trained Glen Shiel, runner-up to Dream Of Dreams last year, has stood his ground, as has Art Power, from Tim Easterby’s stable, who was back in fourth in 2020.

Charlie Hills’ Garrus and David O’Meara Summerghand, who won Deauville’s Prix de Meautry and Newmarket’s Hopeful Stakes respectively at the weekend, have the option of making a quick return to action, while Godolphin hopes rest with the Charlie Appleby-trained Creative Force.

Clive Cox has left in his two entries, Supremacy and Nando Parrado.

“The drier autumn has given us a chance to include Supremacy, while Nando Parrado ran a blinder at Newbury in the Hungerford and this is an opportunity to run back over six,” he said.

“Supremacy is showing me the right signs and with the dry forecast we’re keen to have a look. We’ll assess the situation as the week goes by.”

Dragon Symbol was the most notable absentee at the five-day stage.