Our sprint stars deserve another top-level contest, insist trainers

Eleven of the 16 runners in Sunday's five-furlong Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye were British trained - including the first three home - and Bastiman says it is time for the Pattern Committee to have a rethink over the programme for our sprint stars.

The Yorkshire trainer, who saddled Borderlescott to an unlucky sixth behind Stan Moore's Total Gallery at Longchamp, said: "There are only two Group 1 races for five-furlong sprinters - the King's Stand at Royal Ascot in June and the Nunthorpe at York in August.

"I think it is high time we looked at having another one."

Borderlescott won the Nunthorpe last month and Bastiman is mulling over plans to send the seven-year-old to Sha Tin for the six-furlong Hong Kong Sprint on 13 December, the final leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

Bastiman said: "One of the owners can't go and he said he'd leave it up to me. While I wouldn't mind going, Borderlescott has to get an invitation, because we can't pay to go there.

"The trouble is, he goes in his coat quickly and finding a race between now and then is difficult. We ran him on the all-weather at Dundalk last year but won't be going there this time because he has a Group 1 penalty."

Newmarket trainer Eustace, who saddled Abbaye third War Artist, backs Bastiman's plea.

"I feel there is scope for another Group 1 for the sprinters," he said. "You could make a case for Goodwood's King George to be upgraded from a Group 3, or you could run the Abbaye at Newmarket. After all, there was one French runner and 11 from England.

"Having said that, I wouldn't want to have missed Sea The Stars winning the Arc!"

Eustace is also planning to send War Artist to Hong Kong.

He added: "It is a gamble keeping him happy from the beginning of October to the middle of December, especially as there are no races for him in between.

"So we are going to ask Kempton if we can have a racecourse gallop for him, because it is right-handed and similar to Sha Tin."