12 Jun 2019
The Imperial Cup at Sandown is among the highlights this weekend, with ITV cameras also at Wolverhampton for two decent All Weather races. We take a look at the pick of the action.
SANDOWN
2.25 – Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle
Key Trends
10/10 - No more than 2 wins over hurdles
10/10 - Rated between 124 & 133
9/10 - Carried 10-13 or less
8/10 - Run during February
8/10 - Had 8 or fewer starts over hurdles (6 of the 8 were novices)
7/10 - Won at right-handed track over hurdles
The feature race of the day is the always-competitive Grade 3 Imperial Cup, run just short of 2m. Always a trick race for punters to work out, MONSIEUR LEQOC would appear to have very solid claims of taking the first prize of £42,203.
Lightly-raced novices’ have done well in this contest in the past and the ex-French, who also held an engagement at Warwick on Saturday, as well as engagements in next week’s County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is likely to get the strongly-run race he needs.
With an unsettled weather forecast, the Jane Williams-trained five-year-old is likely to encounter testing conditions that he relished when bolting up over course and distance under Lizzie Kelly last time.
This does appear to be a much deeper race and whether he has been fairly treated with a 10lb rise remains to be seen.
However, he won by nine lengths untroubled and improvement seems likely. He is naturally favourite to record a hat-trick, following a similarly comfortable British debut win at Ffos Las in December.
BENNY’S BRIDGE, trained by Fergal O’Brien, could have done with CALL ME LORD bypassing the race, as the latter heads the weights at 11st 12lb. Benny’s Bridge is 8lb ‘wrong’ at the weights, and would have been one to fear had he been racing off his correct, revised mark, as he looked a good prospect when scoring under a great Paddy Brennan ride at Cheltenham last time.
Call Me Lord has Sandown form figures of 1121, and that second placing saw him beaten a neck in this race last year. He handles the testing ground well and will still merit plenty of support despite the weight.
He is 8lb higher than last year and winning an event off a mark of 160 would be a major feat. However, he is a classy performer and it must be remembered that he went off the 7/2 favourite for the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, which was ultimately won by Stayers’ Hurdle favourite Paisley Park.
One gets the impression that Nicky Henderson has kept Call Me Lord in the race to keep the weights from changing, allowing the hat-trick-seeking DREAM DU GRAND VAL to take his chance off a low weight of 10st 5lb.
Like Monsieur Lecoq, he is in both the County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe next week, and he scooted home to win with ease at Kempton last time. This is a tougher assignment, but he would hold every chance.
The David Pipe-trained EXTRA MAG looked vulnerable under his penalty for an Exeter win when beaten at Kempton last time, but gets in off 10st here and the yard has won this race nine times since 1989 (Martin Pipe x 6, David Pipe x3).
Paul Nicholls is in great form going into next week’s Festival meeting with 19 winners in the last 59 runners at a strike-rate of 32%, so MALAYA must be respected.
The five-year-old mare travelled very strongly for much of the way and did not quite see out an extended 2m3f at Ascot last time in a race won by talented stablemate Brio Conti, and the ex-French novice has a fighting chance off 10st 2lb.
1.50pm – EBF National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final
This might not be the easiest day for punters, as there are no fewer than 18 declared for this 2m4f Grade 3 contest.
GARRETTSTOWN caught the eye when just outsprinted to the line at Market Rasen last time under a confident Richard Johnson ride. The partnership is renewed and Olly Murphy’s six-year-old would appear to hold a live chance off a mark of 131. He is expected to turn the tables on BOLDMERE, who beat him last time.
ONE FOR ROSIE has won two of his three hurdles races, latterly scoring easily at Warwick for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and his jockey son, Sam. While bogged down in the mud at Carlisle previously, he accounted for recent Kingmaker winner Glen Forsa at that track on his hurdling debut, and if there is not too much rain, he should go very well again despite a 4lb rise.
THIRD WIND also bids for a third hurdle win in four, having taken a Taunton novice under the champion jockey, who sticks with Garrettstown. Tom O’Brien rides the five-year-old, who has a double penalty, for trainer Hughie Morrison.
RUSSIAN HAWK will appreciate a slight step up in trip after a gutsy second behind the improving Dashel Drasher in a well-contested novices’ handicap last time. He got a little out-paced before the straight and Colin Tizzard’s four-year-old is one to keep an eye on when he goes chasing over further.
3.00pm – EBF Stallions/TBA Mares’ Standar Open National Hunt Flat Race
This 2m Listed race is the Series Final and SILVER FOREVER is likely to go off a warm favourite to beat 10 rivals. The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old justified favouritism in two of her three bumpers, including when accounting for debutant MYSTIC DREAMER in a decent qualifier at Ascot when conceding 4lb. She looks a staying type and will be interesting over hurdles next year.
WHITEHOTCHILLIFILI won a bumper on her debut for Harry Fry and was not too far behind a useful winner in Yeavering Belle at Warwick last time, conceding weight. She is not without a chance and like Silver Forever, looks a potentially nice staying-type.
Stablemate MISTY WHISKY was runner-up on her Aintree debut and confirmed that promise last time at Ludlow, justifying favouritism when accounting for some decent mares from top yards. She travelled very smoothly on ground that was plenty soft, so with conditions in her favour again, she would appear to have a decent chance.
3.35pm – Handicap Chase
The final race of the afternoon on ITV4 is a 3m handicap chase for horses rated 0-135 and it has attracted a field of 12.
AMI DESBOIS failed to win in 2018 and only completed twice in five outings. Yet having dropped down the weights, he signalled a return to form when third in the Welsh National Trial at Chepstow in December, and was a fine runner-up to Classic Ben in a better 3m chase here last time. He might get left alone up front where he seems happiest.
Venetia Williams’ runners must always be respected in such races and COMMODORE overcame a 249-day break to score easily at Warwick on New Year’s Eve. This is a much tougher test, but he is a sound jumper and looks a decent prospect.
FAVORITO BUCK’S looked a little out of his depth in a Listed contest at Ascot when sixth to shock winner Valtor last time and is best judged on his previous run there when scoring in a similar Class 3 chase. He runs off a mark only 3lb above that.
BOB MAHLER might be better going the other way round, having jumped left at Kempton last time, but the novice has only had three attempts over fences and is a thorough stayer, who has improvement in him.
Those looking for potential each-way value may take a second glance at LOOSE CHIPS, who may be aged 13 now, but is a Sandown specialist, and KANSAS CITY CHIEF, who is down 3lb after a disappointing show here last time. He is better than that.
WOLVERHAMPTON
2.05 – Lincoln Trial Handicap
While we are still a couple of weeks away from the start of the Flat turf season, Doncaster’s Lincoln Handicap will soon be here and this extended 1m on the All Weather should provide a few clues.
No less than 13 line up to face the judge and the field is headed by VICTORY BOND, who has been placed five times in six starts on artificial surfaces for William Haggas, recording three wins and two runner-up efforts.
Last season’s Lingfield Easter Classic winner was last seen in November, his first run after a six-month break, when a fair fourth to Flaming Spear. He probably needs a bit further than this, but that Kempton run was over a mile and he coped admirably enough.
PACTOLUS is drawn on the outside of Victory Bond in stall seven, which is not a bad draw around this tight track. He saw his hat-trick bid spoiled when third to the impressive Wissachikon in the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield, having previous won four of his last five.
He ran on well there after being slowly into his stride, and should be a big player in this lesser race.
Stuart Williams also trains Pactolus’s stablemate PINNATA, who rattled up a hat-trick at Chelmsford, Kempton and Newcastle before a fair third to Keyser Soze in a decent 7f contest on his return to Newcastle. The handicapper may just have caught up with him now, though.
SILVER QUARTZ is of some interest, however. He is having his first start for Archie Watson in a handicap, having finished a decent third in a conditions race here last time.
He is only 3lb higher than when winning in a better Class 2 handicap for Hugo Palmer at Ascot in September.
THIRD TIME LUCKY (stall 13) and WAHASH (stall 1) would be of interest on their seasonal debuts had it not been for their respective tough draws. That duo would appear to have each-way claims at best.
3.15pm – Lady Wulfruna Stakes
This Listed 7f contest has attracted a field of eight and OH THIS IS US would appear to hold a great chance of gaining a third All Weather success. The Richard Hannon-trained six-year-old ran well here in defeat on his first start back from six months off when conceding weight all round in a conditions event, and then duly scored at Lingfield last time. That was a fair run off a mark of 110 and while up a further 3lb, he looks the one to beat.
DOCUMENTING has won three of his six on artificial surfaces and is on a hat-trick after winning at Lingfield and at this track last time, when defying a 6lb rise and a bad draw. That was a hugely impressive win over C&D and the Kevin Frost-trained six-year-old rates a big danger if he can handle another rise in the weights.
ISLAND OF LIFE bids for a four-timer with his fourth different rider, as Andrea Atzeni takes over from Richard Kingscote on the fast-improving mare, who showed a neat turn of foot to score over C&D last time in a fillies’ conditions race.
KEYSTROKE overcame a long lay-off when scoring on debut for Stuart Williams at Kempton and he was well supported for that drop back to 6f. Formerly trained by Jeremy Noseda, his record at Wolverhampton reads 112 – the runner-up effort coming in this race two years ago – so he may relish a return to this track, and is no badly drawn in stall 6.
CARDSHARP has only had one try on the AW, and while was thought good enough to run in the 2,000 Guineas last year, Mark Johnston’s inmate had just a Listed 6f Salisbury win to his name at the end of a busy three-year-old campaign, however. This will be his first run since October and his first since being gelded.
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