William Hill Imperial Cup |
|
| Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle, Sandown £70,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 110y, Class 1 |
|
| Saturday 8th March 2014 | |
1 Baltimore Rock 7/1
2 Gassin Golf 14/1
3 Vibrato Valtat 3/1F
14 ran Distances: 1l, 4½l, nk
TIME 4m 2.50s (slow by 17.50s)
Baltimore Rock delivered in style at 7-1 to become eligible for a £100,000 bonus if he can follow up at the Cheltenham Festival next week.
 |
Hills offer the prize if the winner of the Imperial Cup goes on to triumph at the Cheltenham Festival and Baltimore Rock (7-1) satisfied the first criteria after Tom Scudamore produced him with a perfectly timed run to challenge Gassin Golf.
The pair quickly pulled clear and jumped the last together, with Baltimore Rock drifting a little across to the rail on the run in, forcing Gassin Golf to switch to the outside. However, no stewards' inquiry was called and Baltimore Rock took the honours by a length, with 3-1 favourite Vibrato Valtat back in third.
Winning trainer David Pipe said: "It's a very sweet victory. He's always showed us a fair bit and jumps really well. We always thought he was better than he showed, but when Tom schooled him in his latest piece of work, he jumped the best we've ever seen.
"He had to improve on the bare form but he's a handicapper's nightmare because he only just does enough."
Baltimore Rock is entered in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle at the Festival next week and is rated an 8-1 chance with Hills for that contest. However, Pipe is not certain his charge will make the cut regardless of the penalty he incurs for winning here.
He added: "He travels well but I'm not sure he will get in. We will enter him and see and it will be disappointing if he doesn't."
Gassin Golf's trainer Richard Lee could look to Ireland now with his charge.
He said: "It's really galling as we've had quite a few seconds lately. He won't get in the Martin Pipe or County Hurdle at the Festival but we might head back to Ireland with him. He ran well at Punchestown last year and there's also a race at the Fairyhouse Grand National meeting.
"There's no hard luck stories, he jumped super and he's a chaser in the making. I can't wait until next year with him."
William Hill Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle
£70,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 110y, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Soft
| Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
SP Distance |
|
| 1 |
Baltimore Rock D Pipe |
T Scudamore 10st 12lbs |
7 - 1 Winner |
| 2 |
Gassin Golf R Lee |
J E Moore 10st 8lbs |
14 - 1 1 length |
| 3 |
Vibrato Valtat P F Nicholls |
D A Jacob 11st 3lbs |
3 - 1 4 1/2 lengths |
| 4 |
Regal Encore A J Honeyball |
A P McCoy 11st 3lbs |
9 - 2 Neck |
| 5 |
Chesil Beach Boy M J Coombe |
Louis Muspratt 11st 3lbs |
66 - 1 1 length |
| 6 |
Little Jon N A Twiston-Davies |
Sam Twiston-Davies 11st 6lbs |
33 - 1 5 lengths |
| 7 |
Swing Bowler D Pipe |
C O'Farrell 11st 12lbs |
9 - 1 Neck |
| 8 |
Somemothers- dohavem Miss V Williams |
L Treadwell 10st 10lbs |
12 - 1 1 1/4 length |
| 9 |
Skint Miss A Brewer |
D F O'Regan 10st 5lbs |
33 - 1 3 1/4 lengths |
| 10 |
New Year's Eve J P Ferguson |
Jack Quinlan 11st 3lbs |
11 - 1 8 lengths |
| 11 |
Harristown C E Longsdon |
Kielan Woods 10st 9lbs |
20 - 1 2 3/4 lengths |
| 12 |
First Avenue Mrs L J Mongan |
Paddy Bradley 11st 10lbs |
40 - 1 28 lengths |
| PU |
Knight Of Pleasure G L Moore |
Joshua Moore 11st 2lbs |
20 - 1 |
| PU |
Fourth Estate N J Henderson |
A Tinkler 10st 11lbs |
8 - 1 |
