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2025 Imperial Cup (Handicap Hurdle)

Ian_Davies

Ian_Davies

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May 7, 2023
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28 entries for this historic 2m contest at Sandown Park on Saturday and I shall add a link to the price comparison web page at Oddschecker as soon as I can see it.

Knockanore (40/1 Eider, Maurice) and Booster Bob (SP 16/1 and goodness knows what earlier in the Greatwood, Barjon) were winners for these threads the last two Saturdays, so no pressure! 😂
 
Ian_Davies said:
Ante-post betting: https://www.oddschecker.com/horse-racing/ante-post-racing/national-hunt/imperial-cup/winner
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You're making me unpopular with Mrs O, Ian.

I usually wait until the final decs before doing these races but already I'm having my ear chewed, and not exactly in a style that would amount to foreplay, about studying the racing...

"Zat you bliddy intae thae hoarses again, ya useless fud?"

For those of you who missed Stanley Baxter's Parliamo Glasgow back in the 1970s, I can tell you this translates roughly into Received Pronunciation English as:

"I say, darling, are you researching the Sport of Kings's important event this Saturday by any chance?"

(She is Mary Doll to my Rab C Nesbitt.)

Anyway, I digress since I have one or two things to do before I get my nose into the form but, just looking at the card, a couple catch my attention for reasons that have nothing to do with racing.

One of the entries is Tom Doniphon and I will be looking for a reason to back it. I don't know if I've admitted it on here before, but I am a huge fan of John Wayne and, especially, his Westerns and one of my all-time favourite films is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, co-starring James Stewart, Lee Marvin and the wonderful Vera Miles. Tom Doniphon sees John Wayne in one of his finest performances (imo) and this is one of my favourite scenes. The best bit starts just after the 2-minute mark:


Others of interest purely on account of their names are:

Knickerbocker Glory - Orchidette was, by the age of three, a very skilled eater of said ice cream treat in the local cafe.

Ooh Betty - because that was my M-i-L's name and we used to say it to her.

Norman Fletcher - The brilliant Ronnie Barker's character in Porridge.

Big Ginge - the nickname I had for a young woman I fell in love with when I worked in France (long before I was married, I should stress). She was very tall, very slim and had a shock of bright red frizzy hair. If you were behind her walking down the street you'd be forgiven for thinking you were following a giant Swan Vesta. (Just thinking of her again has me humming Sinatra's classic My Lean Baby**.)

Digression over. I'll get back when I've looked at the race in detail...


** For those unfamiliar with it:

 
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There are four other Saturday ante-post threads I could have created - and two of these are "4/1 the field" contests currently - but until MisterB creates a section where I can fly a kite by creating such threads and see if anyone is interested in them, I'll restrict these threads to stand-out races so they don't clutter up General Racing Topics.
 
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simmo said:
To Chase a Dream? :)
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I think a case can be made, that's for sure mate.

He might be better right handed, as with Carlisle. He had Hardy De Seuil 6 and a half lengths back in second place that day. Hardy then ran fifth at Windsor next time, only a nose behind the future Newbury handicap hurdle third. Navajo Indy. So the collateral form is strong.

He's closely matched with Bo Zenith on their Cheltenham run too.

Even the horse he was second to last time, Classic King, came out and was a good third the other day.
 
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I strongly expect Paul Kealy to put it up in his Weekender column on Wednesday although this afternoon's move might change his mind for him. He might think the value has gone.

When it disappointed at Newbury I started to wonder then if the Imperial Cup / County double was the aim. Certainly handicapped now for it to be a possibility.
 
On a point of handicapping there is only one winner of this race.

Go Dante won this off a 2lb higher mark last year and 20/1 earlier today was simply too big.

He's not been in the best of form so far this season, but I'd say he ran better than his finishing position suggested in the "Schweppes."

He was making headway when making an error three out, he was hampered at last, yet he still finished 16.5l seventh to the thrown-in winner.

The yard could win a Grade 1 with a rabbit with tonsillitis and an anxiety disorder at the moment, that's what scintillating form they're in, and what beats Go Dante wins it in my book.
 
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