TIME FOR A FESTIVAL SURGE, BLANCO
THE Matchbook Imperial Cup may not boast the lustre of years gone by, but it still offers participants the chance to book a place at Cheltenham next week.
KAYF BLANCO (Sandown, nap, 3.00) is one of a number of runners that hold entries in various Festival handicaps and victory in today’s feature would see the selection in with a chance of a handsome bonus for winning at Cheltenham. Trainer Graeme McPherson would probably be content with just success today for his eight-year-old, who emerged with great credit in the Betfair Hurdle won by Ballyandy.
Beaten just 13 lengths in fifth, Kayf Blanco raced enthusiastically in rear before staying on in the straight to finish in front of several useful hurdlers.
Ballyandy is vying for favouritism for Tuesday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but it was the selection’s third to Champion Hurdle aspirant Brain Power over course and distance before Christmas which catches the eye.
A repeat of that effort would give Kayf Blanco a serious chance in this company and he is narrowly preferred to the Nicky Henderson-trained Fixe Le Kap and Not Another Muddle, with both interesting given their stables boast an excellent record in races of this type.
Henderson has also enjoyed plenty of success in the EBF Final and Gaitway is likely to prove popular after his game Musselburgh success at the expense of TOUCH
KICK (Sandown, nb, 1.50). However, two miles on a sound surface is unlikely to have been a sufficient test for the gelding who looks very fairly treated off a mark of 123 given he was fourth to star novice Neon Wolf at Exeter in a race which has worked out well. CAPTAIN Guy Disney, who lost a leg during action in Afghanistan, added Sandown’s Grand Military Gold Cup to his win in last month’s Royal Artillery Gold Cup on David Pipe-trained Rathlin Rose yesterday.