Sandown Saturday

Betfair Imperial Cup

THE market only wanted to know one horse in the Imperial Cup and that was 5/2 favourite Mondo Man (Gary & Josh Moore/Caoilin Quinn), who came in for a no-nonsense ride to make virtually all the running, surviving a scare at the last, but well on top in beating Wreckless Eric (Jonjo & A J O’Neill/Kielan Woods) by a length and a half. The runner-up’s stable companion We’re Red And Blue was third, while Messershmitt ran a cracker for Noel Meade and Danny McMenamin in fourth at 50/1.

The winner was off the mark in a maiden hurdle last time, scoring by a huge margin from the front, and he seems to have improved markedly for the switch to positive tactics, although those had nothing to do with the trainer, who said: “I didn’t really want to run because of the ground, but the only reason Mondo Man ran is because he’s got that class.

“I was devastated when I had to see him make the running too! It wasn’t my plan to make all, but it was obviously Caoilin’s plan and he’s stuck to it.”

The winner is in the County Hurdle and his participation depends on discussions between Moore Sr and John & Yvonne Stone, in whose colours he runs, but Moore was thinking about another meeting when he added: “There are a good few options for him, but I’d like to see him run at Royal Ascot as that’s what he was bought for.”

EBF Mares’ Open NHF Race

A good day for the Moore stable got better when Ti’Mamzel showed plenty of class to win the listed mares’ bumper, with Caoilin Quinn again steering.

A winner of a listed contest on debut at Huntingdon, Ti’Mamzel found things happening a bit too quickly when third at Windsor but relished the stiff test to beat favourite Millstatt Abbey (Noel Williams/Gavin Sheehan) by six and a half lengths.

Original market leader Burds Of A Feather threatened to bolt when winning on debut and made no mistake this time, carting David Bass for two circuits before being withdrawn.

THE European Breeders’ Fund Betfair “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final takes almost as long to say as it does to run, but it’s always a race which throws up plenty of subsequent winners and this year is unlikely to be an exception.

Victory went to the progressive Scorpio Rising (Olly Murphy), who benefited from a strong pace to pounce late for a two-and-three-quarter-length win over Get On George (Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith), with the winner’s stablemate Gee Force Flyer (Kielan Woods) third. Kaka’s Cousin in fourth fared much the best of those to race on the strong pace, with he and the winner sharing favouritism at 9/2.

Sean Bowen reported that the winner, who was completing a four-timer, didn’t jump that well but would “be exciting when he goes chasing next season”.

Around The Tracks

OISIN Murphy could have been in Barbados but was happy to ride a double for old ally Andrew Balding in the feature races at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Cool Hoof Luke made all the running in the BetMGM Lady Wulfruna Stakes, justifying his high rating despite having just his second start since winning the Gimcrack Stakes as a juvenile. He was returned at 11/4.

Murphy judged the pace right again on 3/1 favourite The Lost King to take the BetMGM Lincoln Trial, racing close up from a wide draw, and seeing it out well to win by up with the pace from the off despite King Power’s four-year-old being drawn 11 of the 12 runners.

The run of the fourth placed La Botte and Jamie Spencer came in for some comments on social media.

LUCINDA Russell & Michael Scudamore landed a 326/1 four-timer at Ayr on Saturday to show the horses are in fine health ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

Derek Fox was aboard Fox’s Fancy and Primoz while the stable’s conditional Jack Power got the plaudits for winning on 33/1 French import Litleangel Duseuil. The haul was rounded off with victory in the bumper for odds-on favourite Jet Of Stars (Brian Hughes), making it seven winners for the stable over the weekend, including a double and two silver medals on Friday at Ayr.

Monday was a landmark day for Gordon Treacy as he saddled his first winner under rules when Applicationofcash landed the Class 5 handicap chase at Taunton under Rian Corcoran at 3/1.

It wasn’t such good news for jockey Jack Andrews at Stratford on Monday, though, with the rider picking up a 12-day ban for inadvertently missing out the water jump on the first circuit when leading on Xcitations for Pam Sly.