Our form expert tipped an 11/1 winner last Saturday and he has four selections for Imperial Cup day at Sandown and the Lincoln Trial card at Wolverhampton.
The Verdict: Saturday March 7
1pt win Four Springs in 13:50 Sandown at 12/1 (Ladbrokes, 11/1 General)
1pt win Rubber Ball in 14:27 Sandown at 9/1 (General)
1pt win The Lost King in 14:42 Wolverhampton at 15/2 (bet365, 7/1 General)
1pt win Marshman in 15:15 Wolverhampton at 6/1 (William Hill, 11/2 General)
Ball to bounce in King’s favour
It seems amazing Gary Moore has never won the Betfair Imperial Cup (he’s 0 from 25 in the race this century) but along with son Josh he has solid claims of landing a first success in the contest with Mondo Man at Sandown this Saturday.
Rated as high as 111 on the Flat, this horse looks very well treated off 123 over hurdles and the signs are he’s beginning to put it all together over timber, with a good run in a strong Ascot handicap backed up by a facile victory at Plumpton last time.
It’s no wonder he’s the 11/4 favourite, but he can pull away his chance and if he’s ridden with restraint in this big field he could be a hostage to fortune in the straight, so there are enough concerns to take him on.
Last year’s top three return for more and Dan Skelton took out Knickerbockerglory just in time to get his first reserve Brace For Landing in the race, too, so that quartet deserve consideration.
The one I can't get away from is Neil King’s RUBBER BALL, a horse who was well backed when winning easily back down in trip to two miles at Newbury last week.
King’s stable is in a rich vein of form, having had five wins from seven over the last fortnight, and Rubber Ball always looked like landing the money in West Berkshire as his proven stamina kicked in to great effect after the last.
It looks an avenue that can still be exploited after the 8lb rise, as a glance through his back form suggests he could still be well treated off 128.
After all he ran behind Ma Shantou and Vanderpoel as a novice, before he beat Champion Hurdle supplementary hopeful Tutti Quanti off level weights at Newbury a year ago before he was stepped up in trip earlier this season.
That extra distance should’ve suited on pedigree, but he looked much happier at two miles last week and in a big field with a likely strong pace on he should be seen to good effect once again.
He has to back up quickly after just seven days off, but King has become adept with his handicappers running again within a week as he has had 10 winners from 44 runners at 22.73% since 2018 with such horses.
Certainly, that eases any fears this will come too soon and if Jack Quinlan sits just off a strong pace in the second wave Rubber Ball could be very nicely positioned when his stamina starts to kick in up the hill.
The Verdict: Back RUBBER BALL in the 14.27 Sandown
Springs into action for Pauling
Earlier on the Sandown card the EBF Betfair “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final is always an excellent race to watch for the future as there should be a handful of good novice chasers for next season to keep an eye on.
Indeed, classy Grand National winner Many Clouds graduated from this race after he was second here in 2013 and many a good horse has run in it since then, including future Grade 1 winner Crambo who won in 2023.
Ben Pauling landed the race with Champagne Twist two years ago and last year he aimed the well-fancied Meetmebythesea, who was third, here, so he’s clearly pointing some interesting novices in this direction these days.
FOUR SPRINGS is the one for him this season and just like Champagne Twist and Meetmebythesea before him he comes in here on his fourth start so there’s a clear system at play.
He also comes here second start after wind surgery and with first-time cheekpieces on, but the former point-to-point winner also has an eye-catching run last time under his belt which makes him of interest in this.
Running against Dan Skelton’s 133-rated County Hurdle hope Sinnatra at Warwick, he was easily put in his place by the line but had made a good fist of things from the front on his first start in two months, very much suggesting he’s a horse on the up.
Only beaten five lengths off level weights despite Ben Jones going relatively easy on him once headed, he can improve from that here and any progression will put him right in the mix.
The Verdict: Back FOUR SPRINGS in the 13.50 Sandown
Take two at Wolverhampton
Finally, the BetMGM Lincoln Trial card at Wolverhampton is a good one and in the feature race I like the look of Andrew Balding's second string THE LOST KING.
Balding won this race for owners King Power in 2019 and 2022 and the same outfit look to have another live one with The Lost King who has improved significantly for being gelded and switched to the all-weather.
A winner over seven furlongs on his first start for 202 days at Kempton in January, he was undone by a steady gallop at the same track over a mile next time up, racing too keenly before being run out of things by Popmaster late on.
Beaten less than a length while finishing in front of subsequent winner Nikovo, he should appreciate the likely stronger gallop here under Oisin Murphy.
Half an hour later Karl Burke's MARSHMAN can bounce back to winning form in the Listed BetMGM Lady Wulfruna Stakes over seven furlongs.
He was slowly away on his first run for two months over six furlongs at Lingfield last time, but he was closing on Cool Hoof Luke and Ferrous at the line and could reverse form with that pair over this extra furlong.
Certainly, he looks the bet against the duo given they are shorter than him in the market, while the signs are he should be very effective on the Wolverhampton Tapeta on his first go.
He's got very good form on the Newcastle Tapeta, while Harry Angel progeny have an excellent record at Wolverhampton (24 wins from 112 at 21.43% since 2024) and he looks well worth exploring over seven, too.
He didn't settle well enough to try this kind of trip in his younger days, but he's clearly more tractable now and he's very much bred for a bit further being out of a 1m1f-winning Galileo mare.
With Burke’s all-weather team are flying, he looks the bet.
The Verdict: Back THE LOST KING (14.42) and MARSHMAN (15.15) at Wolverhampton
Preview posted at 15:30 GMT on 06/03/26
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