Why this ageing Imperial Cup trends-buster must be the each-way play at Sandown

Recent runnings of the Imperial Cup tell you this is a 2m handicap hurdle for the slogger despite its close proximity to the Cheltenham Festival when we might reasonably expect spring ground.

With the exception of 2015, every Imperial Cup in the past decade has taken place on ground described as soft or heavy and held-up runners have prevailed on every occasion when the going is testing in that timeframe.

The recent deluge in the south of England will ensure another true examination of stamina and Sandown’s stiff uphill finish regularly demands a strong stayer at two miles regardless of the surface.