Hi all,

Imperial Cup Day serves as a clear indicator that the Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner. In today's main piece, I reflect on Saturday's Imperial Cup Day at Sandown.

Sandown Imperial Cup Day Review

Saturday marked the calm before the storm, and credit must be given to Sandown for delivering a competitive betting card for punters. In recent years, the track has faced criticism for hosting fixtures with small fields, but this time, they managed to produce a good lineup.

Jockeys adorned blue breeches provided by the racecourse in support of the Alzheimer's Society in the opening race, a commendable gesture for a worthy cause. However, personally, I found them rather disconcerting. You can see why the traditional white breeches are used.

Pauling Claims 1-2 Finish in Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final

EBF Betfair ‘National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final is often a good pointer for next season’s novice chasers. The race saw trainer Ben Pauling claim a 1-2 finish, with Champagne Twist overtaking stablemate Pic Roc close to the finish.

It was stamina that won it for Champagne Twist which isn’t surprising as his dam won over 3m. Unlike most of his rivals the winner is a much smaller horse but should be fine over fences next season. I think Pic Roc has more scope than his stablemate and can win races over the larger obstacles.

Ben Pauling is currently enjoying a remarkable streak with his horses. Although the winter campaign started quietly for the trainer, since Christmas, his horses have been performing exceptionally well. Jockey Ben Jones, whom I highlighted a couple of weeks ago, also continues to display great confidence in his riding.

I backed Fire Flyer and Taras Hall. Unfortunately, Fire Flyer quickly faded two furlongs out, and Taras Hall struggled to make an impact on the race. While the winner was on my shortlist, I ultimately opted for Taras Hall, considering his previous performance where he finished just 6 lengths him, and had a 7lb weight advantage here.

I anticipate that the form of the race will prove to be strong, with many winners emerging from it next season.

Go Dante Snatches Victory in Thrilling Imperial Cup Finish

The Imperial Cup/Cheltenham Bonus may no longer be available, but this renowned race still drew a field of 16 runners, although not the highest quality of renewals with the bottom weight racing off just 113. In fact, you could say it was a Bad race.

In a thrilling conclusion, Go Dante managed to edge past Faivoir right on the finish line. Initially, it seemed Faivoir had the race secured, especially with Go Dante's slow jump at the last hurdle. However, Faivoir wandered on the run-in, allowing Go Dante to capitalize and snatch victory. It was a nice prize for the connections of the winner.  

In retrospect, it appears that Faivoir took the lead too soon, as he clearly doesn’t really enjoy being out in front. Nonetheless, he's likely bound for Cheltenham to try to secure back-to-back victories in the County Hurdle.

The winner was the first favourite to prevail in the race since 2010. The other joint favourite Bad ran a shocker and lived up to his name.

This year’s Imperial Cup had £51,440 on offer to the winner and its madness that owners of good quality 2m hurdlers don’t target their horses at the race instead of waiting for Cheltenham.  It’s madness really.

Eyecatcher Making Headway

I opted for Jipcot, who finished third, and Making Headway, who finished fourth. Jipcot seemed poised for a strong finish approaching the final two obstacles but couldn't match the pace of the two horses ahead of him. However, Making Headway was my race eyecatcher. Despite initially losing ground before the final two hurdles, he rallied and nearly secured third place with a strong finish. It's evident that the six-year-old is better suited to longer distances, ideally 2m 4f. With a background as a winner in Irish point-to-point, he shows promise for a successful transition to chasing. Prior to that, he's likely to excel over further in a competitive handicap hurdle before the season ends.

Honky Tonk Highway Impresses on Bumper Debut

Bumpers are a rare sight on ITV Racing, but Saturday was an exception. As I mentioned in my Saturday column, it was noteworthy that Dan Skelton entered Honky Tonk Highway in a Listed race for her stable debut. The bold move paid off handsomely as Honky Tonk Highway, despite showing signs of inexperience, saw off Rula Bula to claim victory. Physically imposing among the 11 runners, Honky Tonk Highway appears destined to be a useful staying chaser in the future.

We don’t see many Bumpers on ITV Racing, but we did on Saturday. As I said in Saturday’s column it was probably significant that Dan Skelton pitched Honky Tonk Highway into Listed race on her stable debut. The bold move by the trainer paid off as Honky Tonk Highway overcame greenness to prove too strong for Rula Bula in the final half furlong.

Honky Tonk Highway was the most impressive physically of the 11 runners and looks a big strong chasing type down the line.

My selection Just Call Me Lucy never got involved and was one of the first beaten.

On the eve of Cheltenham, Saturday didn't yield any winning selections for your humble pundit. However, I did manage to secure two second place finishes and a third and fourth in the Imperial Cup, so it wasn't entirely disappointing day.

Heading into Cheltenham with a winner or two under your belt is always preferable, and I managed to achieve that last year. On Sunday, I backed the Leinster National Winner Hartur D'arc and Shoeshine Boy at Kelso (advised at 15/2). It was a timely boost to my confidence levels as we approach the festival. However, whether my mood will remain the same this time next week is yet to be seen.

Cheltenham Weather/Going Update

The Cheltenham weather forecast has been inconsistent over the past week. While some forecasts suggested 10mm of rain on Sunday and Monday, others indicated much less precipitation, followed by mostly dry conditions until Friday. If the more pessimistic forecast proves accurate, the meeting will likely start on soft ground. However, there’s conflicting information which complicates the situation for later in the week.

The Cheltenham going won't be determined until after the first few races on Tuesday. Following that, we'll have to keep an eye on the weather throughout the week as the forecast remains uncertain. My hunch and its merely a hunch, I’m writing on Sunday afternoon before I know how much rain has fallen, is that the official going description might be soft but it will ride better than that.

On Friday I promised not to delve into Cheltenham beyond discussing the weather, but I couldn't resist. I recently came across a YouTube video featuring the BBC's coverage of Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival in 1988. It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminding me of the days when there were many different owners, and no single trainer dominated the meeting. What stood out to me was the BBC's coverage, which was tailored specifically for true horse racing enthusiasts.

Monday Preview

I initially wasn't planning to pay attention to today's racing, but I couldn't resist mentioning Cyclop in the William Hill Epic Boost Handicap Chase (3:40) at Taunton this afternoon.

Cyclop, now in his teenage years, has appeared out of sorts in his recent races. However, he showed promise in a couple of veterans' chases last autumn. It's important to note that he won three handicap chases around this time last year. Despite his recent struggles, Cyclop is a thorough strong stayer. He’s dropped to a mark 7lb below his last winning rating, and with William Maggs taking off a further 7lb, appears overpriced. You have to take a bit of leap faith but If he can return to his autumn form, he would be a value bet.

Good luck with your Monday bets.

John