[NoChanceToDance]

For you, mmsc........

by Jon Lees
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BETFRED SPRINT CUP winner Red Clubs has run his last race in Britain and is set to take up race options in France and Hong Kong before he retires to stud at the end of the year.

A notable absentee from Sunday's John Guest Diadem Stakes, a race he won a year ago, the Barry Hills-trained sprinter will instead bid to add to his Group 1 haul at Longchamp the following weekend where he could tackle the Prix de l'Abbaye or Prix de la Foret.

A deal was completed to secure Red Clubs as a sire by the Tally-Ho Stud in Co Westmeath, Ireland before his Haydock victory but now he has won a Group 1 prize, his new connections decided against a return to Ascot where the horse would have had to shoulder a penalty.

Stud owner Tony O'Callaghansaid: “Red Clubs will run in the Prix de l'Abbaye or Foret and finish off in the Hong Kong Sprint before coming back to Tally-Ho.

“We did consider the Diadem but he would have a Group 1 penalty. He had already won a Group 1 so we opted to stick to Group 1s and hope he gets another. There was not much to be gained by winning another Diadem.”
Hills still has two entries in the Ascot race with Captain Marvelous and Prime Defender.

Stewards' Cup winner Zidane is set to take his chance under Frankie Dettori, deputising for the suspended Jamie Spencer.

The in-form Benbaun is also due to line up after trainer Mark Wallace's initial reservations that the race may come too soon after his win in the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh 11 days ago appear to have receded.

Benbaun suffered his only defeat this year at Ascot in the Kings Stand Stakes but has won his three Group 3 prizes on his other starts in Ireland.

“The way Benbaun was this morning and the way the ground is at Ascot I would say he will run,” said Wallace. “He is in some order and if it stays fast ground he will probably have to run. I could wait for France but I might not get a run and he will more than likely go abroad later on.”