SANDOWN PARK RACES -- IMPERIAL CUP SATURDAY 10th MARCH 2018

Matchbook Imperial Cup 2018

With only a few days till this years Cheltenham Festival we have a wonderful warm up with the annual Sandown Park Imperial Cup meeting. We will have 7 races taking place on Matchbook Imperial Cup day featuring two Grade 3 hurdles and a listed national hunt flat race. The Imperial Cup was first run in 1907 and was considered the most important and prestigious hurdle race of the season right up until the launch of the Champion hurdle at Cheltenham in 1927. 

A £100,000 bonus is again up for grabs for winners of this race to go on and win next week at the festival, the likes of Olympian[1993], Blowing Wind[1998] and Gaspara[2007] have all gone on to win at the Cheltenham Festival after winning here at Sandown Park, all three trained by the legendary Martin Pipe. Can his son David Pipe win this with the lightly weighted FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHT we shall see. Last year the race was won by London Prize ridden by Tom O’Brien and trained by Ian Williams, who will be victorious this year?

Here's a summary of the afternoon's card with our selections so have a great day and win yourself some money for Cheltenham. 

Sandown
Going: Soft-heavy in places


13:20
Matchbook Betting Exchange Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 
(4yo, Class 3, 1m 7f 216y, 6 runners)
Our opening race for today has a small field of six but each have chances, the top weight SHAMBRA [5th 7/2] appeals for an inform rider who was won 3 of her last 4 rides well worth the 7lb claim it appears. Of the others ROYALE ZANZIBAR [4th 8/1] would be the other one to take against the field, placed in France and winner of a maiden hurdle could be interesting.

13:50
European Breeders' Fund Matchbook VIP 'National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final (Grade 3) (4yo to 7yo, Class 1, 2m 3f 173y, 18 runners)
Big field for this final event, 18 runners so will again look to take a pair against the field. Nicky Henderson has INDIAN HAWK [Pulled Up] here and will surely be popular as a winner of 3 of his last 4 yet still 7/1 available. 

Pair that one with the consistent AL SHAHIR [Pulled Up] from the Skelton yard never out of the first two in his bumper / hurdle career to date and can go from the front at 6/1.

14:25
Matchbook Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 
(4yo+, Class 1, 1m 7f 216y, 17 runners)
Our feature race today, over two miles, will be surely run at a furious pace even on soft ground. It would be foolish to ignore the chances of the David Pipe trained five year old FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHT [Pulled Up] who must surely have been targeted for this by his shrewd yard. The top weight CALL ME LORD [2nd 8/1] for Nicky Henderson has four wins from seven career starts and they include two around here so keep an eye on the market moves for these two.

15:00
EBF Stallions/TBA Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race 
(Listed) (4yo to 6yo, Class 1, 1m 7f 216y, 9 runners)
Don't often see a bumper race in the middle of the card but this one is a listed event and valuable. The market will be a good guide here but both QUEENS CAVE [2nd 7/1] and AIMEE DE SIVOLA [4th 5/2] are showing signs of form at this level and will be our pair against the field this afternoon.

15:35
Matchbook Racing Is Commission Free Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 3m 37y, 7 runners)
And now the first of three handicap chases, just the seven declared and interest is for TANIT RIVER [4th 3/1] who was a course and distance winner last time out a month ago and expected to make a bold bid to repeat that again here.

16:10
Matchbook Betting Podcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 2m 4f 10y, 4 runners)
Only the four now, each has a chance but the selection simply has to be the Paul Nicholls trained THE LAST BUT ONE [4th 5/2]. Gets all the weight concessions from his opponents and has won his last two contests too so in good order will be hard to beat. Silverhow looks like the one to give the selection most to think about.

16:45
Commission Free Racing At Matchbook Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 2m 4f 10y, 8 runners)
Our finale tonight is the last chase of the card, the bottom weight here is STOICAL PATIENT [] for Gary Moore and this multiple winner has the opportunity to make it four from five with the yard in good heart too.

Have a good afternoon, and it'll soon be Cheltenham. We will have a blog entry for each day and covering all the races so hope you will return.