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There are just 5 days to go until the runners for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival are sent on their way accompanied by the most famous roar in racing. Predictably, with the very best on course to strut their stuff next week, there is a decidedly low-key vibe to this weekend’s racing.
There is a decent card at Sandown however, and any horse that can win the Imperial Cup (Saturday; 14:27) and go on the win again at the Festival next week will receive a £100k bonus, as well as a decent chunk of prizemoney.
From a handicapping perspective, Mondo Man looks most likely to be able to achieve that feat. The French Derby fifth was very well touted early on in his career but hasn’t quite hit the heights expected of him given his flat form, although he has run to a good level on several occasions. He had a nice confidence booster for this last time out when landing odds of 1/7 and is a short price here to go in again. I would be surprised if he’s not a fair bit better than a mark of 123 but such a lowly mark means that he may struggle to get in at Cheltenham. He’ll get a 5lb penalty for the County Hurdle if he wins here, but he’d still need another 16 runners to come out slip into the field under a light weight.
Most of the market leaders tomorrow are unlikely to draw into their respective races, and horses like Brace For Landing aren’t even entered. He’s not quite fulfilled his potential since moving from France, but he ran a bit better last time out over this course and distance and the yard is renowned for landing big handicap pots.
One horse who will get in if he wins is Fingle Bridge. A promising hurdler last year, he didn’t really take to fences but ran very well returned to smaller obstacles last time out over a bit far. He’ll enjoy dropping to this distance in a strongly-run affair and might outrun big odds, for all it’ll be difficult to carry 12 stone in bad ground.
The other big race on the card is the Listed mares’ bumper (Saturday 15:00) which sees 13 go to post. The market is headed by Burds Of A Feather, who is clearly quirky but possess plenty of ability. She bolted up in a point-to-point in December and justified favouritism on her rules debut last time out when running out an emphatic winner despite early keenness. She’ll have to ration her speed a little better around here but has the engine to win this.
The Flaggy Shore and Ti’mamzel set the standard having already performed well at this level, while several others, such as Millstatt Abbey and Western Charm, bring real potential to the table.
There is a good card at Wolverhampton this Saturday as the flat slowly kicks into gear. The 14:42 is a trial for the Lincoln, the race that is traditionally seen as the curtain raiser for the turf season, although it bears very little resemblance to the Lincoln itself. The market is headed by the promising La Botte. This horse has always had a nice reputation, but the wide draw with a confirmed hold up jockey is enough to dissuade me from getting involved on his first run for 261 days.
Regal Ulixes also has a tricky stall to contend with, but this forward going type has plenty of speed and still has some upside off a mark of 99.
Race Of The Weekend
The Listed Lady Wulfruna (Saturday, 15:15) follows the Lincoln Trial and sees Cool Hoof Luke look to get back to winning ways. He was flagged in the column when returning from a long break last time out and ran very well in the circumstances at a track that looked a little too sharp for him. This should suit him better up in distance and he can hopefully avoid the dreaded bounce and make up for lost time here.
Both Ferrous and Marshman finished behind Cool Hoof Luke last time, so the progressive Prince Of India may prove the biggest threat. He improved nearly 30lbs last season and is very much bred to be better again as a 4-year-old.
Horse To Watch
Tentyris has quickly established himself as one of Australia’s leading sprinters and is favoured to land a third Group 1 in a row in the Newmarket Handicap (05:55, Saturday) at Flemington. This son of Street Boss, who represents Godolphin, may end up at Royal Ascot or the Breeders’ Cup one day.
