Go Dante Aiming For Record Third Imperial Cup Success
Go Dante will bid for a piece of history at Sandown on Saturday by ending up being the very first three-time winner of the Betfair Imperial Cup.
Olly Murphy's veteran has actually claimed narrow triumphes in the last two editions of the prestigious handicap, which is the traditional emphasize the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival gets under way.
Betfair are offering a ₤ 100,000 perk to the connections of the winner should the exact same horse go on to win any race at Cheltenham next week, but Go Dante does not hold any Festival engagements, with Murphy focusing on Saturday's reward for a horse who is three from three at Sandown but has actually dissatisfied on his last couple of getaways at Windsor and Newbury.
"He's a few pounds higher than in 2015, however he likes the track and ideally with a little bit of luck in running he'll run well again," stated the Warren Chase handler.
"In his last couple of runs they've gone extremely, really fast early on flat tracks and it hasn't matched him, so ideally returning to a stiffer track will fit.
"It would be nice to win for a 3rd time. We know he enjoys the place and we're looking forward to running him."
Go Dante in winning action at Sandown (John Walton/PA)
Murphy will have a 2nd string to his bow in the type of Fingle Bridge, who reverted to the smaller challenges to complete 2nd at Warwick last month following 3 runs over fences.
Murphy added: "He's going to run too. He did excessive at Warwick the last day, so we're hanging back in journey on a stiff track.
"He's definitely excellent horse with a huge engine and hopefully a run in a handicap the last day will have honed him up once again. He ought to go there with a possibility."
Fingle Bridge is the joint premier horse alongside the Dan Skelton-trained Knickerbockerglory in a 30-strong list of entries.
Other contenders consist of Ben Clarke's high-class mare Ooh Betty, the JP McManus-owned Khrisma from Nicky Henderson's lawn, Chris Gordon's General Briar and Mondo Man, trained by the father-and-son partnership of Gary and Josh Moore.
Olly Murphy could also run 2 in the ₤ 80,000 European Breeders' Fund Betfair "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final, with the respected Scorpio Rising set to be signed up with by Force Flyer.
Scorpio Rising appears his biggest hope having actually won his last 3 races, with Masked Man (Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies), Gentleman Toboot (David Pipe) and Kaka's Cousin (Jonjo and AJ O'Neill) others in the mix for a fiercely-competitive heat.
Murphy stated: "Scorpio Rising looks progressive and I believe the track and trip and everything will fit him well.
"He's in actually good kind, came out of Windsor well and ideally he's improving.
"We 'd invite a bit more rain for Gee Force Flyer however the stiff track will match him well, he's feasibly disabled and this race has actually been the prepare for a long time with him."