Wadham worried about conditions for United

Lucy Wadham is concerned the combination of top weight and soft ground could anchor her Grade One-winning mare United in tomorrow’s Sunderland’s Imperial Cup at Sandown.

The five-year-old is one of 22 runners in a race which offers a £75,000 (€108,000) bonus to any horse that can win here and than go on win at the Cheltenham Festival.

United is unbeaten in three starts for Wadham but will be having her first start since landing a Grade One contest in Punchestown last April.

“We’re finally getting her to a racecourse which is a relief but I’d rather she wasn’t running with top weight in soft ground,” said Wadham.

“She is a very slight mare and there is not a lot of her and the weight could anchor her a bit in the ground.

“The reason she is running at Sandown rather than Cheltenham is that the race is slightly less merciless for her first run in a handicap but at this stage of the season there is not a lot of choice.

“The Punchestown race is working out very well and so is the Stratford performance but we are slightly in the dark at the moment so it will be interesting to she how she goes.

“I am nervous about the weight, I’d much rather she was running off 10st 2lb in a better race.

“We haven’t completely ruled Cheltenham out yet but it would be a big ask to run there after a run in top weight on soft ground. We’ll probably aim her at Aintree.”