Weatherbys Super Sprint 2023: Relief Rally all the rage for Newbury

Tony Kelshaw | 20.07.2023

Relief Rally, runner-up in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot on her most recent start, heads Coral’s betting for Saturday’s Weatherbys Super Sprint 2023.

The William Haggas-trained filly was installed as 3/1 favourite for Newbury’s £250,000 feature but has since been backed in to 7/4.

“Relief Rally sports the double green colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede more normally associated with top-class jumpers but following her excellent second at the Royal meeting, the filly is favourite to give her owners a big-race success on the Flat,” said Coral’s David Stevens.

Should the daughter of Kodiac be successful, she would be a third Haggas winner of the five-furlong showpiece, after the top-class Superstar Leo in 2000 and Jargelle eight years later.

Relief Rally made her debut at Windsor in April, before taking a conditions race at Salisbury and then heading to the Royal meeting, where only American raider Crimson Advocate was too good, by a nose.

As a 58,000 guineas yearling, carrying a small penalty, Relief Rally will have significantly more weight than Superstar Leo, who was bred in partnership by Haggas’ father-in-law Lester Piggott and Tony Hirschfeld and was bought back for a mere 3,400 guineas by his wife Maureen at the sales.

Haggas said: “Relief Rally got the entry for the Super Sprint because she was bred to be quick and cost less than the ceiling £65,000, so it’s been on our radar for a while.

“She got a small penalty for her Salisbury win, but it would have been a much bigger one if she had won the Queen Mary, although we would have been happy to have taken one there.

“The American filly was obviously very quick in the Queen Mary, but we were unfortunate not to win, as she was in front a stride before the line and in front again a stride after it, but not on the line.”

Haggas has big plans for filly

He added: “Unlike Superstar Leo, who had no weight despite having won the Norfolk Stakes, Relief Rally has 9st, but if she’s good enough to win on Saturday I think she’ll go for the Lowther, then the Flying Childers, which Superstar Leo also won, and then the Abbaye, where Superstar Leo was second to Namid.”

Superstar Leo ended the year the highest-rated juvenile filly on the classifications, and she has gone on to have major lasting significance for the stable.

Haggas said: “She’s been marvellous. She introduced us to the Jacksons, of Lael Stables, who have been big supporters ever since, and she bred Enticing (winner of the Molecomb and King George Stakes), who was the dam of One Master (three-time winner of the Prix de la Foret). Her sister Starship is the dam of Rivet, who won the Racing Post Trophy for us.

“It’s been a hell of a family for us and a wonderful story, and the Jacksons were so fond of Superstar Leo that when she retired they flew her back to Kentucky so that she could spend the rest of her life in their front paddock.”

Irish raider Son Of Corballis has been the other early gamble, being backed in from 10/1 to 7/1.

Kieran Cotter’s charge is twice a winner at Tipperary, either side of finishing seventh in the National Stakes at Sandown.