Qaspal: winning Imperial Cup would enhance chance of festival run
Picture: Mark CranhamQaspal out to close in on Festival spot in Imperial
DREAMS of Cheltenham Festival glory for Qaspal hang on his performance in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday.
Anything less than a win and the Philip Hobbs-trained six-year-old will not have a rating high enough to run in either of his targets - the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle and Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle. However, even the 5lb penalty he would receive for a triumph may not get him in.
The maximum number of runners permitted in both contests is 24, meaning that as Qaspal is 121st on the Martin Pipe list and 85th on the County card JP McManus's novice needs atleast 98 horses to defect from the former and 62 in the latter before he can line up.
Saturday's confirmation stage could reduce these numbers, but task one is winning at Sandown and Hobbs does not appear overly confident.
"Qaspal is still an unknown quantity and will be running on very different ground to what it was last time," he said, "which I don't think will be a problem. My only concern is whether two miles on this sort of ground is not enough of a test of stamina, but I suppose they will go a furious pace."
Despite his cautious words, the West Country trainer has booked peerless champion jockey Tony McCoy, who will be riding at 2lbs lower than the lightest weight he has done in over a year if successfully weighing out at Qaspal's allotted 10st 3lbs.
Pepe Simo, Treaty Flyer and Stradbrook are others holding Festival entries and all have a chance of scooping the sponsor's £75,000 bonus for any horse that can win the Imperial Cup and follow up in any race at the festival next week.
The ground was officially described as good after racing on Friday and, with little chance of rain, it is expected to remain so for the duration of Saturday's fixture.
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