2026 Coral Golden Sprint final - Runner-by-runner guide

Coral Golden Sprint final 

It is a wide-open looking final over 400m on Friday night with the two main contenders in the ante-post market both failing to make it through from the semis. 

1 - Swift Hostile - Rose Draper - The Good Fellows

The new Sheffield sprint clock holder has made the final on this very different track. He has been three or four lengths down on his trial time here, so there is better to come if he is ableto get to the opening bend in front. Yet to be defeated with the red jacket on his back, he is a big player if coming away.

2 - Yahoo Mareike - Paul Young - Mr G Curtis

Local was impressive in her semi-final win last week, a slick exit seeing her get to the opening bend in front. This will be her second Category One final having made the decider of the bet365 Empress Stakes at Towcester last September. Her run in the opening round behind Bockos Buster was the quickest calculated time that she has produced here, so she is in great heart at present. 

3 - Da Don - Mark Russell - Mr K Faulkner

Lighter on experience compared to a couple of these, he makes just his ninth start in the UK after eight in Ireland. Behind Swift Hostile in his heat and Yahoo Mareike in his semi, he swaps the red jacket from each of those defeats for the white one. It was from this slot that he beat Bockos Buster in a smart 17.58. Has pace to clear inside him, so a smash break is going to be required.

4 - Sehnsa Amigo - Bradley Stowe - Mr N Raja & Mr G White

An outstanding story for a small kennel, getting their runner into this final. There was no fluke about it, getting on the bunny in his semi-final and maintaining that gallop all the way to the line. This is a tough looking draw for him on the outside of so much pace. A 3.62 last week could see him right on the speed at the opening bend if he can reproduce. 

5 - Bombay Buck - Paul Young - Messrs Cornish, Curtis, Minto & Nolan.

The quickest in the semis last week, stopping the clock in 23.73 off the back of an efficient display of front running. He is a very smart performer when he comes away like that, boasting quicker form last year when he has got on the bunny. There is no room for a mistake at the start here in this lineup and a look at his career doesn't show him smashing out in back-to-back outings often.

6 - Jacktavern Don - Maxine Locke - JR Racing Syndicate

He is the youngest of the finalists as a December 2023 whelp. Third in his heat and runner-up in his semi, he has drawn the striped jacket, a starting position he has won from once in four tries. Produced a 23.84 when putting it all together here last August but has been some way shy of that in this competition so far. 

Conclusion

The Golden Sprint final has a real open look to it, and it would not be a surprise if any of the six were to come home in front. That does make it difficult from a betting perspective and it is a race that is going to rely on trapping and early pace. There is plenty across the lineup, so clearing the field is going to take some doing for all of them.

It's only really a token choice given how tricky this is but the return to the middle for Da Don might be the key to him around here. He missed the break in his semi, only to pace into trouble at both the first and third bends. Swift Hostile is unbeaten when sporting the red jacket, so he needs a huge amount of respect, as does the quickest semi-finalist Bombay Buck,

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