Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle |
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| Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle, Sandown Park 14:27 £100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 216y, Class 1  |
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1 Mondo Man 5/2F
2
Wreckless Eric 11/1
3
We're Red And Blue 12/1
4
Messerschmitt 50/1
18 ran NR: Gibbs Island, Knickerbockerglory, Mr McLoughlan, Nardaran, Ooh Betty
Distances: 1½l, 2¾l, nk Time: 4m 11.63s (slow by 16.63s)
Wow!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 7, 2026
Mondo Man - and more to the point rider Caoilin Quinn - holds on in a thrilling £100,000 @BetfairRacing Imperial Cup! @gl_racing pic.twitter.com/SQzlmxlEJP
There was a moment at the final flight when it seemed the script might be torn up entirely. Instead, class reasserted itself, and Caoilin Quinn, momentarily unseated in everything but fact, drove Mondo Man home without irons to seal a victory that was as dramatic as it was deserved. Yet for all the prestige of Sandown’s traditional Festival springboard, a tilt at Royal Ascot may ultimately take precedence over the lure of a £100,000 Cheltenham bonus.
Mondo Man has always carried the profile of a horse who belongs on bigger stages. His Flat credentials were already well established: fifth in the French Derby of 2024 and later chasing home Calandagan at that year’s Royal meeting. The transition to hurdling has been measured rather than meteoric, but the raw ability has never been in question. He finished within striking distance of Lulamba on his hurdling debut and subsequently tested deeper waters in both the Adonis and the Triumph Hurdle last season.
Returning to Sandown for Gary and Josh Moore, the five-year-old arrived with confidence behind him after a smooth success at Plumpton. The market reflected that faith, installing him the 5-2 favourite. Once the tapes rose, Quinn was keen to let the horse stride on, allowing Mondo Man to dictate matters from the outset.
Front-running around Sandown in deep ground demands both stamina and precision. For much of the race, the plan appeared to be unfolding exactly as intended. Mondo Man travelled boldly, stretching the field and turning for home with daylight between himself and his pursuers.
Then came the final flight, and with it the moment that briefly threatened to undo everything.
The jump was untidy, the partnership momentarily disjointed. Quinn was almost ejected through the side door as horse and rider parted company in motion if not in reality. Somehow he clung on, the irons gone but the opportunity still alive. What followed was an exercise in balance and resolve, Quinn driving his mount home while Wreckless Eric, representing Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, surged late in pursuit. For the second year running he filled the runner-up spot, but once again the line arrived too soon.
Gary Moore later reflected on both the tension and the talent behind the victory.
“It was an amazing performance and I didn’t really want to run because of the ground, the only reason he is running is because he has class.
“I was devastated when I saw he was having to make the running, it wasn’t my plan, but it was Caoilin’s and he stuck to it and it came off – he was very stylish after the last wasn’t he!”
Victory in the Imperial Cup traditionally raises the tantalising prospect of a quick return at Cheltenham. The bonus on offer for following up at the Festival stands at £100,000, and bookmakers reacted accordingly, trimming Mondo Man to 10-1 from 14-1 for Friday’s William Hill County Hurdle, the race for which he holds an entry.
Yet Moore sounded more circumspect than tempted by the immediate prize.
“I’ll have to speak to the owners and it will depend how he comes out of the race as he has had a hard race today. It’s tough to make all round here on heavy ground and come out fresh enough to go again next week.
“He was bought to run on the Flat as well and he met with an injury last season which is why he wasn’t seen on the Flat after Chester, so there could be some nice options for him.
“I would like to see him run in the two-mile race at Royal Ascot (Ascot Stakes). He was bought to run in the Triumph Hurdle and then go to Royal Ascot and he’s run in the Triumph now, just not very well.”
If the trainer’s thoughts were already drifting towards summer targets, Quinn was still reliving the few breathless seconds that nearly derailed the afternoon.
“I didn’t look round and was just kicking forward, so I didn’t know how far I was clear.
“It’s tough conditions and I didn’t want to go looking for a long one and do anything stupid so I just wanted to get in pop it and get out the other side.
“He went one way and I went the other! Luckily I stayed aboard him and he showed plenty of guts to keep galloping. He’s showed now he is settling he has the attitude to knuckle down.”
And as for the unusual task of steering a horse home without the usual purchase beneath his boots, Quinn could only reach for a simpler comparison.
“It wasn’t too difficult to get him home after the last, it was kind of going back to my roots riding ponies round the fields, it’s a brilliant day.”
Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 216y, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Soft, Heavy in places
