Go Dante (rights) reels in Faivoir at Sandown

Imperial Cup preview as Sandown-Cheltenham Festival bonus is up for grabs

By Mike Vince

Horse Racing

Sun March 02, 2025 · 11M ago

Mike Vince looks ahead to the Betfair Imperial Cup at Sandown, where the £100,000 bonus is up fro grabs once more.

The week before Cheltenham always seems to get lost in the Festival countdown, but those punters looking for a few quid will - as usual - look towards the Betfair Imperial Cup at Sandown.

This is the one Sandown year where the hurdle races dominate, the card also including the final of the EBF series, qualifiers for which are held at every jump track in Britain.

Both big races are run over two miles, and both are likely to be big fields and punting minefields.

For the second Saturday running, after the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso, we’ll be playing the ‘bonus game’ as the sponsors restore their £100,000 carrot for any horse winning it and going on to be successful at Cheltenham. The reward is split amongst connections.

Three times the bonus offered by previous sponsors was won, with one common factor: they were all Pipe-trained. Martin won it in 1993 with Olympian and five years later with Blowing Wind, while in 2007 son David landed it with Gaspara. They all won different Festival races.

More recently it was Langer Dan who came so close to landing it, having won at Sandown in 2021 before finding just one too good at Cheltenham.

The Imperial Cup has a rich history since its first running in 1907. A few that catch the eye include the great Lanzarote, who won it when it was staged at Kempton in 1973, Champion Hurdle hero Collier Bay, and a few for those who love their trivia.

Father and sons who have trained the winner? That’s been done twice in the last 50 years, the aforementioned Pipes as well as the Baldings, with Ian saddling Insular in 1986 and Andrew in 2004.

Brothers who trained and rode the winner? The Skeltons, Dan and Harry, with Langer Dan in 2021 and before that the Hobbs clan celebrated with Moody Man, trained by Philip and ridden by brother Peter.

And one to treasure - the only man to train and ride a winner since 1975?

One Nicky Henderson, no less, who legged-up Barry Geraghty to win on Dave’s Dream in 2009 having, as an amateur, landed the spoils on board Acquaint.

Last year saw the tightest ever finish as Sean Bowen on Go Dante beat Harry Skelton on Faivoir by a nose.

Expect another thrilling renewal on Saturday.

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