Racing: Polar lands imperial win
Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy warmed up for the Cheltenham Festival by landing the Sunderlands Imperial Cup Hurdle with Polar Red at Sandown.
Jump racing’s strongest team showed they are in top form still ahead of the sport’s biggest meeting by taking the £45,000 handicap with a horse who had been hot favourite ever since betting started.
And their eventual 6-4 favourite will now bid to earn a £60,000 bonus by following up at Cheltenham this week.
He looked fit to win comfortably as he moves onto the heels of 14-1 leader Impek two out but it was only half way up the run-in that he was able to drive his mount into the lead and just a head in front by which the pair landed the prize.
‘‘I thought he would win well going to the last but there was a strong head wind,’’ McCoy said. ‘‘He took a long time to get the better of Impek but I was always confident he would get there.’’
Polar Red is now 5-2 favourite with Coral for Thursday’s Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle.
The 2000 Martell Grand National Runner-up Mely Moss pleased jockey Norman Williamson on his first run since he was brought down in the Aintree showpiece last year.
The top weight eventually passed the post last of six behind Storm Damage in the World of Property Exhibition Handicap Chase.
But Williamson said: ‘‘He felt fine. He needed the run badly and I was very happy with him.’’
Conditional jockey Marcus Foley landed his biggest win on his first ride for Toby Balding as 16-1 shot Latimer’s Place took the £37,000 EBF ’National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle Final.
The 5lb claimer bided his time behind the very strong pace set by Intersky Falcon and lead after the last to score by five lengths from Hopbine.
Meanwhile, Richard Johnson finally notched a century of winners for the season after Redde proved good enough to take the Letheby & Christopher Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow.
The jockey had been teetering on the brink with 99 for two days until the Jack Smith-trained gelding came to his rescue by beating El Monty by three-quarters of a length.
A relieved Johnson, who spent three months sidelined with a broken leg this winter, said: ‘‘I’ve got there at last! It’s been a couple of days coming and its also been a bit of a stop start year for me with the broken leg keeping me out of action.’’
Johnson went on to make it 101 winners when Karratha proved the gritty winner of the Gwent Drain Services Handicap Hurdle at the expense of Follow Me.
Murt’s Man jumped himself into the picture for the Martell Grand National with a battling victory in the Tote Bookmakers Handicap Chase under Andrew Thornton.
Paul Nicholls’ charge refused to go down without a fight when challenged by Lance Armstrong up the home straight and eventually pulled out enough to gain a length and a quarter verdict over that rival.
Nicholls said: ‘‘Andrew gets on really well with the horse as he seems to jump much better for him than anybody else and I thought that was a really gutsy performance.
‘‘He’s got 9st 10lbs in the Grand National at the moment but the weights are guaranteed to go up so he’ll have no trouble getting into the race. Given some good ground which he really likes I can see him running a big race.’’
Nicholls also has another Aintree contender in Galapiat Du Mesnil who took the Lanson Champagne Handicap Chase after making all the running to beat Bramblehill Duke by a length and a quarter.
Nicholls said: ‘‘He could go to Aintree for the John Hughes Trophy next but his main target will be the Le Touche cross country race at Punchestown.’’
The Somerset trainer was another to reach the 100-winner mark when Saint Par, ridden by Timmy Murphy, ran out an easy victor in the Letheby and Christopher Maiden Hurdle.
An obviously delighted Nicholls said: ‘‘We had a 100 winners three seasons ago but missed out last year mainly due to the foot and mouth outbreak which didn’t do anybody any good.’’
Cita Verda ended a frustrating run of near misses for owner Ray Anderson Green in some style in the Spring Ayrshire Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Ayr and a trip to Aintree has now been pencilled in for the filly.
She made all the running in the hands of Brian Storey to score by 21 lengths from Marche Militaire.
A winner on the Flat in France, Cita Verde is trained by Peter Monteith for Anderson Green who said:
‘‘Cita Verda showed that she handled the ground and the plan now is to go for a juvenile hurdle at Kelso in two weeks’ time and then we will think about Aintree (Martell XO Anniversary Hurdle) I think that course will suit her better than Cheltenham and we will see her lot better when she jumps at speed.’’
Storey later completed a 41½-1 double when Solway Rose, the 16-1 outsider of seven, turned in a fine display of jumping to take the Erskine Care Hamilton Campbell Handicap Chase.
