PREVIEW: A Tropical tip

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ood profit for the column with a 3-2 set score recommendation on the Federer v Monfils quarter final which turned out to be an absolute classic.

A quiet day for football today on the eve of qualifying for Euro 2016 but as ever it’s a busy Saturday on the racing front.

All eyes will be at Haydock for the Sprint Cup – a Group 1 in which the remarkable Sole Power tops the market as he attempts to go for his third Group 1 prize in a row after successes in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Crucially, both those wins came over five furlongs and for those taking him on today will point to the fact that he has never won over six furlongs.

It’s dangerous though to just make an assumption that he won’t get the six furlong trip. Throughout his career he’s been campaigned over the minimum trip – although was second (beaten five lengths) in the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin in December.

Personally, I think he’ll get the trip fine, but whether he gets it well enough to win a Group 1 when often the margins are so slim is another matter entirely.

Last year’s winner Gordon Lord Byron is back for another crack but conditions were more testing 12 months ago and it looked a weaker renewal than todays.

I’m going to have an each way interest in Tropics. Dean Ivory’s stable star has already proved he can mix it at Group 1 level when he was an excellent second at 66/1 in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket behind Slade Power and six furlongs is very much his optimum trip.

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale of 1-50 points)

BACK TROPICS 3 points each way at around 10/1 with Star Sports

RETURN SINCE START OF WORLD CUP: PROFIT 46.76 POINTS

What’s your view? CALL STAR SPORTS 08000 521 321