The 2026 Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle

[mellows45]

Real heart in mouth moment at the last for myself. Impeccable sit from Caoilin.

 

[jinnyj]

Well done - spoke to Wolfies owner and apparently they watered and then the rain came. According to the jockey he was happy with him until the bottom of the hill when he fell in a bog.
Think BFL was same story - cruising through the race then struggled to get home

 

[Desert Orchid]

Messerschmitt's fourth place at 50/1 minimises losses on the day for me.

 

[barjon]

…….Lack of self belief is the downfall of many punters - the market doesn't always "tell yer," as many punters like to believe as they lick their wounds and tell themselves the whole world is against them and it's never their own fault……

I was talking about lack of all the information, how did belief creep in.

 

[Desijo]

Well done - spoke to Wolfies owner and apparently they watered and then the rain came. According to the jockey he was happy with him until the bottom of the hill when he fell in a bog.
Think BFL was same story - cruising through the race then struggled to get home

The official going description on Tuesday was soft good to soft in.places on the hurdles course.
Why they would water for 3 days after one of the wettest winters on record is beyond me .surely if they had left it they woukd be racing on good to soft going and a level playing field for all.

 

[jinnyj]

You might well ask!! I went back to the first post on here and it states they were going to water from Tuesday.
Wolfie ran badly on that sort of ground at Cheltenham so it's not a surprise.

 

[Ian_Davies]

Why they would water for 3 days after one of the wettest winters on record is beyond me

Wolf Walker got well and truly "Coopered."

 

[Desijo]

Wolf Walker got well and truly "Coopered."

You're not wrong
Do these clerk of the courses ever look at weather forecasts?

 

[jinnyj]

You're not wrong
Do these clerk of the courses ever look at weather forecasts?

I had several run-ins with CofCs back when I was training. I ripped into one at Brighton when I went there with a horse I fancied who needed good or better. It was bordering on soft. Owners insisted on running as they'd gone. Utter waste of time.

 

[Ian_Davies]

You're not wrong
Do these clerk of the courses ever look at weather forecasts?

Andrew Cooper (and I'd say his nephew up at Haydock Park is not dissimilar) has a long history of overwatering at Sandown Park and Haydock Park.

I was once derided (astonishing, I know) here for knowing my CoC Family Trees, but obviously I'm far too Godlike to let stuff like that do anything but bounce off me and I've quite forgotten the name of adorable little Irish fella who was having a pop.

 

[Danny]

Andrew Cooper (and I'd say his nephew up at Haydock Park is not dissimilar) has a long history of overwatering at Sandown Park and Haydock Park.

I was once derided (astonishing, I know) here for knowing my CoC Family Trees, but obviously I'm far too Godlike to let stuff like that do anything but bounce off me and I've quite forgotten the name of adorable little Irish fella who was having a pop.

He's gone awfully quiet perhaps Trudis tip didn't arrive in time to stop him getting Hypothermia.

I fear Reet may have frozen to death also

 

[barjon]

Bloody hell! I hope not.

 

[Slim]

Andrew Cooper (and I'd say his nephew up at Haydock Park is not dissimilar) has a long history of overwatering at Sandown Park and Haydock Park.

I was once derided (astonishing, I know) here for knowing my CoC Family Trees, but obviously I'm far too Godlike to let stuff like that do anything but bounce off me and I've quite forgotten the name of adorable little Irish fella who was having a pop.

Sandown is like a ploughed field on the hurdle course no matter what they do. The only saving grace is that your weekly mention of knowing who Andrew Cooper is means you’re not banging on about the 20/1 trifecta you put up in 1983.

 

[Jayhawk]

He was only following the Kirkland Tellwright approach to turf management by watering part of the course ahead of significant rainfall.

Couldn't Jockey Club Racecourses do some drainage work on the home straight which is where the ground is generally the softest? It might take a few months for the ground to recover with a few meetings having to be moved elsewhere, but late summer into early winter isn't a busy time at Sandown.

 

[Ian_Davies]

Sandown is like a ploughed field on the hurdle course no matter what they do. The only saving grace is that your weekly mention of knowing who Andrew Cooper is means you’re not banging on about the 20/1 trifecta you put up in 1983.

Fuming.

 

[Slim]

He was only following the Kirkland Tellwright approach to turf management by watering part of the course ahead of significant rainfall.

Couldn't Jockey Club Racecourses do some drainage work on the home straight which is where the ground is generally the softest? It might take a few months for the ground to recover with a few meetings having to be moved elsewhere, but late summer into early winter isn't a busy time at Sandown.

The best thing to do with the Sandown hurdle course would be to let a local farmer plant wheat on it.

 

[jinnyj]

Or possibly rice given current conditions?