Coppull put a disappointing July Cup effort firmly behind him on Saturday, winning the Hungerford Stakes Group 2 at Newbury under Hector Crouch at 15/2 to give trainer Clive Cox his second success in the race. The Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock is next.
The 7-furlong contest drew a field of nine. Coppull did what he always does: jumped well, kicked into a clear lead, and dared the field to catch him. Through the first four furlongs he was comfortable. Through the fifth and sixth he was still holding. In the final stages, under real pressure from Prince of India, he drifted sharply left, but Crouch kept him focused and he held on to win by 1¼ lengths. Winning time: 1m 23.31s. Symbol of Honour, the market’s main fancy, was back in third.
A response to the July Cup
Cox was candid after the race. His horse had finished 4th in the July Cup at Newmarket last month and the trainer admitted to feeling deflated by that performance. Saturday was the answer. Cox described Coppull as being “back in the fast lane”, measured praise from a trainer who does not tend toward hyperbole.
The drift in the closing stages will be noted, but it did not cost him the race. Nine runners is a manageable field for a front-runner, and Prince of India, a solid Group-level performer, simply could not get close enough in time.
Crouch completes a treble
Hector Crouch’s afternoon deserves mention in its own right. Three winners on a single Newbury card is no small achievement, and the Hungerford ride was the most demanding of the three. He had to deal with the drift, maintain rhythm through it, and keep Coppull’s focus. He did all of it.
History and precedent
Cox knows this race well. He won it with Lethal Force in 2012, and Lethal Force went on to be crowned champion sprinter that season. Nobody is drawing a direct comparison between the two horses, they are different animals at different stages, but the precedent is there, and Cox is not unaware of it.
What comes next
The Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on 5 September is the declared target. It is a Group 1. Cox also mentioned the Park Stakes as an alternative, though Coppull would carry a penalty there; Haydock is clearly the preference.
The Sprint Cup field will take shape over the next two weeks. Coppull heads into it with the momentum of a Group 2 win and a trainer who has been here before. His July Cup run made people wonder whether he still belonged at this level. Saturday’s performance at Newbury answered the question.
The winner’s prize of £93,571.50 reflects the race’s standing in the British sprint calendar. For Coppull and the Cox yard, the bigger prize sits three weeks away at Haydock.
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