Sprinting superstars get back to nature

Montjeu's main workout came 10 days prior to a big target with a sharpener over a shorter distance a week later, both times accompanied by another horse. Nuclear Debate works alone, cantering for five days plus one fast spin over four furlongs.

Hammond believes sprinters are "sounder" and "easier" to train than other horses. Newmarket handler Michael Jarvis - who trained 1968 champion sprinter So Blessed and flying grey Petong - agrees.

"Once a sprinter is fit, you just keep him ticking over," he said. "At that point, I work the good ones alone, otherwise they take each other on and leave a race behind on the gallops. As they don't cover as many miles as other horses, they can stand a huge amount of racing, particularly as they get older."

Like human speed athletes, the vast majority of sprinters are both built and developed to suit their trade - born with short cannon bones (between the fetlock and knee or hock joints) and honed to possess muscular thighs. Former trainer Jack Berry's sprinters gained further lengths from always being the first to leave the traps.

Fellow northern handlers, David Chapman and his former jockeyturnedtrainer David Nicholls also built their reputations with sprinters. 'Queen of Speed' Soba, who listed 1982 Stewards' Cup success among 11 wins for the combination, was a vivid advertisement for their unique approach to 'keeping sprinters-sweet'. Chapman devised the 'back-to-nature' method by accident in the late 1960s. A National Hunt handler then, he'd given up on one horse called Stelphen and turned her out into a field.

Only when a visiting trainer remarked how well the filly looked did he notice what good the great outdoors had done her. He entered her in a race and she trotted up by 20 lengths - the first of many.

His success with sprinters was more necessity than design - in the days before all-weather tracks, a decent sprinter was cheaper at the season's end because there was no hope of staying far enough to try hurdling.

Chapman bought what he could afford, put them in the care of his all-girl team (male stable staff are all disillusioned, failed jockeys in his book) and his open-air policy did the rest.

"It's a mental edge - they're happier," he said. "Horses barely get an hour out of their boxes in a big yard, but here they're in a field 90 per cent of the time - out by 10am daily and choosing when to come back in. The good ones tend to stay out longest.

"It makes sense physically - they're never standing still, wasting their muscles. People worry about them kicking each other and I've got less owners as a result, but it doesn't happen. They soon establish a pecking order and friendships. When they start nipping each other's necks, I know I'll be getting some winners."