'Gutted' owner hits out as Sandown's unique Grand Military Gold Cup is tweaked

Organisers of Sandown's Grand Military Gold Cup have been accused of taking the easy way out by ditching ownership requirements for the historic handicap.

The 0-130 chase, which takes place on March 7 and was first run in 1841, had been for horses owned or leased by people with close military links, but has changed this year and no such limitations apply.

Other conditions, including the requirement for horses to be ridden by military amateur jockeys, remain, but Oscar Singh has criticised the ownership changes, which result from a desire to boost the race's field size.