High hopes for Coppull on local turf at Haydock
Coppull, a horse named after the village between Preston and Wigan, has his sights set on Betfair Sprint Cup glory at Haydock Park on Saturday.
The tough-as-teak three-year-old, trained by Clive Cox, has enjoyed a brilliant campaign for owner-breeder David Armstrong.
“We are so privileged to have a horse to run in this race at our local track; it would be unbelievable if he could win,” said Armstrong.
Coppull had been campaigned as a sprinter by Cox, and he has shown he can mix it with the cream of the sprint division, emerging with plenty of credit in the Group One Commonwealth and July Cups this term.
But a change in trip to seven furlongs at Newbury last month saw the talented colt surge to victory in the £100,000 first prize Hungerford Stakes.
“You never know when you step a horse up in distance, even by a furlong, but we were quietly confident and Coppull produced a performance of real quality.
“Inside the final two furlongs, he found another gear and he was certainly enjoying it when he crossed the line with his ears pricked.
“Coppull was very unlucky in the July Cup to finish fourth. He has proved a very durable horse.
“He’s resilient with a great turn of foot but, most importantly, Coppull has a fine temperament.”
Coppull runs in Armstrong’s distinctive red livery, and he names his horses after villages in Lancashire.
Jockey Hector Crouch rode Coppull to his Newbury win and connections will be hoping that ground conditions at Haydock Park prove suitable for the horse to run in Saturday’s big race.
They don’t want a lot of rain and while Armstrong and Cox will have one eye on the weather this week, he says he will leave the final decision to the Hungerford-based trainer.
“Clive’s a perfectionist, one of the best trainers in the land,” said Armstrong. “He leaves nothing to chance. Clive walked every inch of the track at Newbury before Coppull’s race and found some ground that he wasn’t keen on. Then he gave Hector Crouch specific instructions.”
Armstrong added: “I never put any extra pressure on trainers to run any of my horses, whatever race we are in.
“I said to Clive if I ask you to run a horse before it is ready then sack me.”
Armstrong, who has just nine horses in training, is no stranger to home bred success.
His thoroughbred breeding operation produced the brilliant 2012 July Cup winner Mayson and now he has unearthed another gem with Coppull, a grandson of Mayson.
“We’ve had some marvellous horses like Mayson and Mabs Cross, but “Coppull has definitely put us back on the top table of sprinters,” said Armstrong.
“We’ve only ever had one runner in the Sprint Cup at Haydock Park, Garswood in 2013.
“We were so confident with him that day, but he missed the break from the stalls and when you do that in a speedy six furlongs dash then your race is usually over.
“But to be going into the Sprint Cup at our local track with a horse called Coppull, a couple of miles from where we live, is incredibly special.”