LE KAP FITS
Henderson’s grey can get Imperial Cup rivals in a Fixe at Sandown
IT’S a Fixe! Back FIXE LE KAP to be at the head of affairs when it matters most in the Matchbook Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (3.00, ITV4) at Sandown today.
The grey steps in for Nicky Henderson stablemate Peace And Co for the last big race before next week’s Cheltenham Festival – and should prove a more than able deputy.
We haven’t seen Fixe Le Kap since his eighth-place finish behind Diego Du Charmil in the Fred Winter on unsuitably fast terrain at Cheltenham last March.
Prior to that run, the French import had shown himself to be a useful animal with give underfoot last winter, winning juvenile hurdles at Newbury and Warwick.
Conditions are sure to be testing in Esher today and Fixe Le Kap, who looks well treated off a handicap rating of 138, can send Henderson off to Cheltenham with a spring in his step. SANDOWN RUNNERS: PAGES 6&7
THERE are only 13-runners in today’s Matchbook Imperial Cup (3.00 Sandown) — lucky for someone but unlucky if you fancy betting to four places each-way.
Given the past glory of this race, the fact a horse with a handicap rating of 138 tops the weights highlights the disappointing turnout.
Last year, such an official figure would have earned a weight of 10st 12lb, making today’s event a stone worse in terms of class.
The contest has been a graveyard for anything carrying more than 10st 13lb over the past ten years.
However, because of the weights being compressed, only the bottom four in the handicap qualify on that statistic this time.
That’s too deep a cut to make at this stage so, instead, go for a horse with the following stats: No older than eight Has run this year Been a winner during the current season
That leaves us with a shortlist of seven. Of those, we need a proper stayer as the ground today is likely to be sticky and holding, which is far worse than when the mud is really flying. London Prize likes decent ground while Chieftain’s Choice and Darebin have run too many times over hurdles to fit a winning profile. Conversely, Not Another Muddle has not shown enough in his limited career to suggest he is up to taking this, while Bigmartre and Max Do Brazil both disappointed behind Alan King’s (left) William H Bonney at Cheltenham in January. The latter then ran poorly in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, so all three have questions to answer. However, King did flag up his fears that the Newbury race would come too soon for WILLIAM H BONNEY and he’s more confident today. Have 2pts win at 7-1 with several firms.