SANDOWN PARK RACES -- IMPERIAL CUP SATURDAY 9th MARCH 2019

Matchbook Imperial Cup Day 2019

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. The last two winners of this race – London Prize and Mr Antolini – didn’t go onto run at the Cheltenham Festival while Flying Angel (winner in 2016) finished runner up in the Martin Pipe Conditional race so you have to go back to Gaspara (below in 2007) to find the last winner of this to go on and gain success at the Festival picking up a nice bonus in the process.

GASPARA WINNING IN 2007

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/David Pipe yard. Can his son David win this with the lightly weighted 5yo EXTRA MAG (Tom Scudamore riding off 10 stone, no breakfast for Mr Scu) we shall see. Last year the race was won by Mr Antolini [20/1] ridden by Jamie Bargary and trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies who had to survive a stewards inquiry too, so who will be victorious this year?

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

Sandown Park
Going: Good to Soft - Soft in places

13:20
Matchbook Betting Exchange Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 
(4yo, Class 3, 1m 7f 216y, 7 runners)
Our opening race for today is for four year olds and has a small field of 7 runners for the trip of just under two miles. A contest won last year by the Gary Moore yard they run TWENTY TWENTY [4th 16/1] in an attempt to repeat that feat and should go well for Jamie Moore. 

Of the others here the biggest danger appears to be THE KNOT IS TIED [2nd 6/4] who has been runner up on his last two outings and will likely go off as favourite.

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)
A big field here with 18 contesting the final of this event, headed by ONE FOR ROSIE one of two declared for Nigel Twiston-Davies with MURATELLO also towards the head of the weights, they might find this tough if the going still remains "soft". Nicky Henderson always going to be feared here and should have a live chance with both MILL GREEN [4th 14/1] and BEFORE MIDNIGHT [13th 8/1]. 

My selection will be the bottom one, DIOMEDE DES MOTTES [16th 16/1] from the Dan Skelton yard, 20/1 shot, lightly weighted, ridden by Harry Skelton should run a decent race and a player in the place markets at very least.

14:25
Matchbook IMPERIAL CUP Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 
(4yo+, Class 1, 1m 7f 216y, 16 runners)
Our feature race today, over two miles, will be surely run at a furious pace even on soft ground. A race that revolves around Nicky Henderson who has declared top weight CALL ME LORD and also has the inform DREAM DU GRAND VAL in the line up, expecting plenty of money for the latter who has looked a decent prospect since his British debut. 

Martin Pipe used to have a good record in this, and his son David is due a decent handicapper so maybe his 5yo EXTRA MAG [Non Runner] can take this with only 10-0 to carry and hope to get an entry in the Cheltenham handicaps (County Hurdle perhaps).

STORM RISING [4th 20/1] is the interesting outsider for me trained by Dr Newland and a 5lb claimer helps too.

15:00
EBF Stallions/TBA Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race 
(Listed) (4yo to 6yo, Class 1, 1m 7f 216y, 11 runners)
A listed flat race in the middle of the card is up next, and although half the field have yet to pick up a race one that certainly has (winning three from four) is the Paul Nicholls trained SILVER FOREVER [2nd 11/8F] and that seems to be the one most likely here today. 

15:35
Matchbook Racing Is Commission Free Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 3m 37y, 12 runners)
The hurdles are away following the previous bumper race so we are left with three chases now. This will take some getting in the soft ground but the likes of FAVORITO BUCKS [pulled up 8/1] and KANSAS CITY CHIEF [Non runner] are our pair against the field. .

16:10
Matchbook Betting Podcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 2m 4f 10y, 6 runners)
A small field of six for this limited handicap and one where there are not a lot of previous recent winners in the line up. One that has at least shown some signs of ability is BANDSMAN [pulled up 20/1] although his last run was too bad to be true and will give this Dan Skelton inmate the benefit of the doubt unless this run is similar. -- Clearly something gone wrong with this one after another poor effort.

16:45
Commission Free Racing At Matchbook Handicap Chase 
(5yo+, Class 3, 2m 4f 10y, 5 runners)
The finale only has attracted a small field of five where THE KINGS WRIT [2nd 13/8F] looks sure to be popular and has winning form on the soft going. 

Hope you have a good afternoon, and are all set for next week's Cheltenham Festival. We will have a blog entry for each day and covering all the races so hope you will return and check that out. Day One - Champion Hurdle Blog will appear here on Monday night.