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The 2026 Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle

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A going report from late this morning. Selective watering on parts of the back straight on both courses is likely to commence on Tuesday. Weather forecast for the rest of this week indicates daytime temperatures in the range of 12 to 15 degrees with hardly any rain.
 
I just checked the card to see if Quaviste is in.

It isn't.

Skelton has three in the race, including Faivoir, and Harry is down to ride Brace For Landing, a lightly-raced novice rated 118 so should get in at the bottom of the weights.

I've taken 25/1, 4 places, but wouldn't be surprised if it didn't run, such has been my recent luck with these bets.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I just checked the card to see if Quaviste is in.

It isn't.

Skelton has three in the race, including Faivoir, and Harry is down to ride Brace For Landing, a lightly-raced novice rated 118 so should get in at the bottom of the weights.

I've taken 25/1, 4 places, but wouldn't be surprised if it didn't run, such has been my recent luck with these bets.
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I've been waiting for this but missed the 25s so had to settle for 20s.
I'm not certain it will get in as only 3 below it.

Wreckless Eric.ive backed every time and the best price is 14/1 and only 10s with bet365. That's pathetic.
Knickerbockerglory is another and has a 7lb claimer on and bet365 are only 12s.poor.
 
Wreckless Eric, only 7s in places now 😳.
You couldn't ignore old Faivoir, who has won me a few ew quid this season, if he shows up. Beaten on the nod in this 2 years ago. With the jockeys claim He's nearly a stone lower. At 40s, I can't ignore him, if he's in Thursday.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I just checked the card to see if Quaviste is in.

It isn't.

Skelton has three in the race, including Faivoir, and Harry is down to ride Brace For Landing, a lightly-raced novice rated 118 so should get in at the bottom of the weights.

I've taken 25/1, 4 places, but wouldn't be surprised if it didn't run, such has been my recent luck with these bets.
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I flagged BFL in a new thread in January as I thought it looked like a Skelton plot job. Interesting to see he's got two entries - the IC and also the race before (the novice EBF final where Wolfie runs) but he's jocked up off a low weight in the IC with 'Arry up. I just got the feeling they were up to something.
 
I've added No Ordinary Joe (20/1, 6pl).

I thought it ran a race full of promise last time, travelling smoothly through the race before taking up the running two out and then eased off. That was over 2½ miles and it looked like they were pretending it didn't stay but a penalty for this would probably see it safe enough for the Martin Pipe, if not the County (which I can't see it making). It could 'do a Glengouly' for the trainer.
 
Slim said:
If Afadil could jump how much higher in the handicap would he be?
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I remember trainer being interviewed morning of race at Edinburgh and complaining about the description the clerk of the course gave good/soft soft in places and he said it was a wasted journey as the there was no good in the ground.
 
jinnyj said:
He's straight into second fav - 10s into 5s on Betfair. Just so berludy obvious!
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2.27 - Sandown - Brace For Landing​

We've got Brace For Landing running in the Imperial Cup, and the drying ground should be to his liking. He ran well there last day, on some decent ground as well, so I'd say he's got a chance here. His handicap mark looks fair; he's got a small-ish weight, so we'll crack on and give it our best shot. He is a maiden, so it's a strange scenario to be coming into a big handicap like this, but he's got a bit of experience and his last run around this track was decent.
 
Looks like I'm getting a run so no complaints.

Quaviste is a similar type who ran well in the Morebattle last weekend so I'm hoping BFL is good enough to finish in the first six.

It's a very competitive race, as well it should be with the £100k bonus on the table for those with festival prospects. BFL doesn't have any entries but NOJ does.
 
Game Colours can be backed EW at 40s with Power to 6 places or win only on Betfair at around 80 as I write. An improving mare - career best LTO - who hasn’t had that much racing and has run some good time figures. Good luck
Joe
 
It turns out this is the only race today in which I will have an interest, certainly for the moment. If I get the chance to watch the TV racing I might stick something on other races for the sake of an interest but they will be low-stake stabs.

I do want to see this race, though.

As mentioned, I took 25/1 Brace For Landing for this when the weights came out earlier in the week.

Wreckless Eric looks the one to beat but I do think a few can do so. I wouldn’t put anyone off anything that looks like it could improve past it and there’s no shortage of them so I’m going to focus on the ones I think could improve the most.

Goologong was a decent Flat horse back in the day and it looks like the trainer has coaxed back to at least that level. It looks overpriced. So too does Messerschmitt – cue the old Stan Boardman joke – who was a handy third in a valuable handicap at Galway and gets in here off a good mark and a long break. He could well sneak into the County under a penalty but looks friendless in the market. Jack Hyde is a bit old for a novice but is one nonetheless with no worries about very soft ground. Gibbs Island is a value price for a shrewd operator with a good record from few runners in this kind of race. No Ordinary Joe, as I also mentioned before, could ‘do a Glengouly’, being chucked in on its old form. It showed plenty last time before being eased back out of contention, as though with another day in mind.

I’ve thought all season Mondo Man was being prepared for this but it has been found by all and sundry. It didn’t really have to win last time – it didn’t go up for it because it was a very weak race and it was long odds on – but it more than advertised its well-being and it would have a serious shout on its old Flat form. Unfortunately, it’s also priced on that more than on its hurdles form. I intended to have enough on it to cover any other bets but it was 9/2 at that point and I really have to let it go unbacked at 3/1 and less.

If I decide to do combo tricasts I'll probably include it but I'm undecided about that because that would be a bigger perm than Kevin Keegan's in the 1970s.

I’m going to take the chance that Afadil is past its best and let it go. I like the other first-season novices Top Jimmy, General Briar and Mr McLoughlan but they do need to find a good stone or more to have a realistic chance.
 

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