Candy still sweet on big sprint prizes for evergreen Run To Freedom

Henry Candy will target the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot with Run To Freedom, after his veteran sprinter proved he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level at Newmarket on Saturday.

Although a dual winner in Listed company, the seven-year-old has run his best races in defeat, most notably filling the runner-up spot as a 150-1 shot on Champions Day in 2022 and in the the July Cup the following summer.

However, having only made it to the track once last season and failed to make a major impact on his first two starts this term, Run To Freedom was 40-1 for his second tilt at July Cup glory – but outran his odds to finish third, beaten two lengths by the surprise winner No Half Measures.

Candy said: “I thought it was a great run. He’s got it in him, he just wants thing to go right.

“He’s done that in the Champions Sprint and he’s done it in the July Cup before. You always hope he’s going to do it again, but then you look at the strength of the field he’s up against and see what price he is and think ‘oh dear, I’ve made a mistake!’.

“But he keeps delivering, hopefully he’ll grab one one day and all being well we’ll go to Haydock and then we’ll go to Ascot. We won’t go to the Prix Maurice de Gheest (at Deauville), I don’t think he’s a horse that wants running too often.

“A little bit softer ground would definitely help him.”