THE best sprinters in Europe - and Japan - are set to line up on Saturday for the richest race ever run at Haydock Park.

The Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup - the six-furlong championship of the Continent - is worth £200,000, a rise of £50,000.

Twenty-one horses have stood their ground five days before the big race, including Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's Rock of Gibraltar.

The dual English and Irish 2000 Guineas winner is trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien. The handler also has the French 2000 Guineas winner Landseer to call upon - and he is almost certain to run.

But the major British trainers are sending their most talented sprinters to Haydock to ensure the trophy stays on this side of the Irish Sea.

Dandy Nicholls is double-handed with the first and second home in Newmarket's July Cup two months ago. If the weather stays dry, Continent looks a more likely fancy than Bahamian Pirate.

John Gosden saddles Malhub and Mount Abu, while the powerful Godolphin training operation of Sheikh Mohammed intend to send Three Points who ran in the race a year ago.

But the runners are not just coming from the British Isles. Air Thule is being sent from Japan for a fixture at which Haydock Park is offering the most prize money ever on one day - £350,000.

French-based Japanese jockey Yutaka Take will ride the horse that has been specifically trained for the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup.

The rider will also be at Haydock on Friday - and trainers can book him for their horses by calling Patrick Barbe on 00 33 607 347732.

Haydock Park's general manager Adam Waterworth said: "It's going to be a cracking race, with all the major contenders we expected looking set to run.

"While our flat racing season here at Haydock is not yet over, the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup is a fantastic showpiece at the end of the summer."

Advance tickets for all race meetings at Haydock are available by calling 01942 402624.

More information is available on the course web site www.haydock-park.com