Markab became only the second seven-year-old to land the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup when powering home at Haydock.

Emulating the 1977 hero Boldboy, Henry Candy's charge lifted the prize by a length and a quarter in the hands of Pat Cosgrave from Lady Of the Desert and Genki.

The field split into two groups, with favourite Starspangledbanner ahead on the far side and Markab soon prominent on the stands side, and once in the clear the 12-1 winner drifted across the track and was well in command at the finish.

Candy said: "He's a magnificent horse. He's a very happy horse now and very relaxed. He's very content and seems to get bigger and stronger.

"If he's OK we will go for the Abbaye now and if we feel he is a bit jointy after this race, I think he will have earned a rest.

"He's a seven-year-old and has got a lot of miles on the clock. We just turn him out every day and he seems to enjoy that.

"I didn't know whether they would split into two groups, but where we were drawn we thought we would jump out and make use of the rail, and that is what he did.

"He started running in 80-rated handicaps over seven furlongs at Lingfield and it is incredible how he has progressed since."

Colm O'Donoghue, rider of Starspangledbanner, who finished fifth, said: "He ran OK, but he's had a long season", while Genki's trainer Roger Charlton added: "He's run well. I think that was a good trial for the Ayr Gold Cup!"