Sandown’s Imperial Cup has become a qualifier for the County Hurdle at Cheltenham this season with several of the leading fancies needing to win to earn a place in the Cheltenham field. It is a decent prize in itself with £70,000 in prize money but the focus of attention this year is supposed “handicap good thing”, Regal Encore.
The gelding was bought by JP McManus after an impressive bumper victory and finished second at the Cheltenham festival last year. Anthony Honeyball’s six-year-old got off the mark over hurdles at Plumpton but was then surprisingly beaten by 66-1 chance Seeyouatmidnight at Hexham. Connections must have been scratching their heads after that but the run was clearly better than they first thought.
Seeyouatmidnight has since won two races, the most recent being the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock. The gelding’s victims included Celestial Halo, runner-up in the World Hurdle last season. There is a world of difference between a two-mile novice at Hexham and a three-mile Grade 2 event but Regal Encore would appear to be leniently treated on 130 with Seeyouatmidnight now on 155.
Not surprisingly, the bookmakers have put Regal Encore in at around 3-1 favourite and he could be shorter if the field cuts up. Other Cheltenham hopefuls include Lac Fontana and New Year’s Eve. You could not help but be impressed with Lac Fontana at Cheltenham last time as he eased clear of Totalise in heavy ground. I have no idea what happened on his previous start when he was fourth and last behind The Liquidator. The handicapper has shoved him up 12lbs though and that could stop him here.
Swing Bowler ran a really nice race in the Betfair Hurdle after a lengthy absence to be fifth. That looked about the best two-mile handicap run this season and she also has Cheltenham entries. New Year’s Eve is the unknown quantity here as he suffered his only defeat when well backed at Musselburgh, appropriately enough on New Year’s Day! Like Lac Fontana, I cannot explain what happened that day but he has won his subsequent two starts in a hood.
If the headgear has made the difference, he still has chances with just a 7lb penalty. However, the one to be on could be Vibrato Valtat. The grey absolutely laughed at his rivals at Exeter last month and must have had a stone in hand of runner-up Tigris. That horse fell at the weekend so we can only guess at the value of the form but he is fit and fancied.
Vibrato Valtat 13-2 Betfred, Totesport
