A horse-by-horse guide to Sandown's Imperial Cup

Fixe Le Kap

Plenty to consider regarding the top weight, who was initially considered most likely to be sent over fences at the start of the current campaign. Instead, he's been kept on the back-burner since his fair performance to finish eighth in last year's Fred Winter at Cheltenham and that's not the only piece of form to suggest he could be fairly treated from a hurdles mark of 138.

He had subsequent scorers Tommy Silver and Kasakh Noir immediately behind when striking at Newbury last December, won eased-down at Warwick the following month and then pushed this year's high-class novice chaser Frodon very close when just denied at Haydock in February 2016.

He reportedly doesn't show a great deal at home so is unlikely to become a very skinny price but he looks the right favourite with ground conditions in his favour.

Kayf Blanco

Has run well just about every time he's visited the racecourse over the past couple of seasons and sadly that has proved his downfall as he's only won on a couple of occasions from 18 starts over hurdles.

Close to his best again when fifth to Ballyandy in the Betfair Hurdle last time, while his third to Brain Power earlier in the season is another highly respectable piece of form but the assessor hasn't cut him much slack (1lb) as a result and his profile is a little too static to be getting too excited about.

Hood and tongue tie now added in a bid to eke out a bit more improvement.

William H Bonney

Couldn't live with Altior et al in the Sky Bet Supreme this time last year but he's one of many quality performers to have emerged from that particular race this season and, following a comeback spin when eighth to Bigmartre at Kempton, he took full advantage of an ease in the weights to win well on soft ground at Cheltenham on Trials Day.

Carrying a penalty and bidding to follow up so soon in a race as hot as the Betfair Hurdle was never going to be easy but it was still slightly disappointing how readily he was brushed aside on the day.

Had a month off to get back to full fitness and, given he's just 2lb higher than for his Cheltenham win, there's every reason to expect a very bold bid for top spot.

Bigmartre

It's a bit of a running theme throughout this race but he's another leading player on the pick of his form but does need to bounce back from a lesser effort when last seen on the track.

Focusing on the positives for now, he was mixing in pretty good company as a novice last season and the experienced gained from taking on the likes of Ivan Grozny when third of 17 in a big handicap at Aintree last April clearly stood him in good stead when fighting tooth and nail to secure a comeback win at Kempton over Christmas.

Mixed messages to some extent from that race since but it's not bad form by any stretch of the imagination (William H Bonney back in the field) and the way he knuckled down was admirable.

May have 'bounced' when finishing tamely behind that rival at Chelteham last time but the deep ground another possible excuse and, for a horse who looks like he'll get further in time, the Sandown track could be tailor-made.

Gassin Golf

Once a smart stayer on the Flat for Sir Mark Prescott but hasn't quite converted that ability to hurdles for the Lee team. One victory over timber came off a slightly higher mark than today's but was two years ago now.

He fell very early on in the Betfair Hurdle after coming in for a little bit of each-way support but generally jumps well and no issues at all with soft ground.

Cheekpices back on instead of the blinkers tried last time and he's opposable on balance.

Max Do Brazil

The eye is immediately drawn to this French import given the historical significance of his stable and this race, and certainly noteworthy that he was sent off as short as 9/2 on his debut for the Pipe team at Cheltenham when last seen.

He pulled-up there (race won by the reopposing William H Bonney) but the assessor has left him alone so clearly hasn't jumped to any conclusions just yet, and nor should punters. It could be that a mistake at the first flight knocked the stuffing out of him a little at Cheltenham and he's been given plenty of time to freshen up and prepare for the spring.

He also returns with a tongue tie fitted for the first time and it's clear connections are keen to see a bit more here, having shelled out £160,000 for him at the start of December. Among those with a Festival entry next week and it's certainly not beyond his trainer to have planned a crack at the bonus from a long way back, so all in all he's a fascinating runner, though does obviously have something to prove based purely on what we've seen of him in the UK.

London Prize

Building a pretty attractive profile on the Flat and over jumps and while it's impossible to know what he would have found for pressure when asked, he was still moving noticeably well before falling four from the finish on his handicap debut over timber in a nice race won by Diego Du Charmil at Musselburgh last month.

He's been given a confidence-boosting run on the level since then and it was encouraging to see him produce a decent second from a mark in the low 82s, given his hurdles mark is still just 128.

Has shown a liking for good ground in the past but there's enough to suggest he'll handle the going and, given his consistency and the likelihood he still has more to offer on the National Hunt scene, he's not one to be overlooking too swiftly.

Spice Fair

Vastly experienced campaigner on the Flat who is now pretty thoroughly exposed as a handicap hurdler too.

One win in this sphere came in December 2015 from a mark of 114 so the fact he's been unable to add to his tally since and is still rated 13lb higher suggests he's going to find it tough against some of these much more lightly-raced individuals.

It's not difficult to see why he's priced up among the outsiders of the field and there's no real temptations to take a chance on him springing a surprise.

Prairie Town

Has lingered around this sort of handicap mark for the past couple of years and difficult to discover just where the progress is going to come from for him to be seriously competitive in a race of this nature.

Hopes mainly pinned on his decent course record (has won here in the past) and ability to cope well with cut underfoot, while his recent form over fences suggests he's in good heart, but overall there's not enough to like about his chances.

Disputed

Trainer and jockey enjoying a bit of a purple patch and this seven-year-old has been performing as well as ever this term.

Never closer than at the finished when fourth behind reopposing William H Bonney at Cheltenham but a little bit of a let-down that he couldn't get the job done in a slightly weaker, small-field event at Lingfield last time out.

He looks likely to give a good account but not sure dropping back in distance is really what he's after at this king of level and a supporting role might be the best he can hope for.

Darebin

One of two runners in the race for the Moore family (the other being Not Another Muddle, ridden by Josh's brother Jamie) and it's not a simple task deciphering exactly which of them holds the best chance of winning.

This fella has been on the go on the all-weather over the winter, winning a Lingfield maiden over a mile and a half on his penultimate start, and he returns to hurdling off just a 6lb higher mark than when successful in November.

Does have a little bit to prove from his revised rating and he's occasionally got stirred up at the start in the past, which wouldn't help him here, so others look to hold more persuasive claims.

Chieftains Choice

Rated as high as 134 for John Quinn in his younger days so no great surprise he capitalised on a fall in the ratings to get his head in front again off 114 over this course and distance last month.

Difficult to know exactly how much ability remains intact but he's strictly still fairly well treated on the pick of his old form and the switch to very patient tactics has clearly worked the oracle.

Not hard to envisage him travelling well near the back of the field for much of the contest but younger legs might just see him off when it matters most.

Not Another Muddle

Has a tendency to race keenly and that was evident again when second off level weights to a much higher-rated rival at Fontwell last time.

Had looked quite promising when scoring at the same track over two miles and three furlongs (raced with choke out again) prior to that and it's possible the move into handicaps could see a big upturn in form terms.

That over-exuberance remains a slight worry, despite the switch to a bigger field entitled to suit, and he's going to need to improve a fair amount to make his mark in a race of this depth.

CONCLUSION: Max Do Brazil is the obvious starting point and strong market support would be a pretty significant pointer that we can put a line through his British debut effort when really disappointing at Cheltenham. He's a fair price around 8/1 but I'm not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as it's hard to piece together his French form into anything too meaningful in this context. Preference, therefore, is for top weight Fixe Le Kap, who was among Nicky Henderson's leading juveniles last term, despite not quite cutting it on the big stage in the Fred Winter at last year's Festival. His form with Frodon stands out like a beacon and although his fitness has to be taken on trust after such a long layoff, he's certain to be primed for a spring campaign. London Prize looks on an upward curve and he appeals most among those at each-way prices.