Imperial pair bid to defy absence
Tony McCoy and Tarlac will team up to tackle the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown with one key thing in common.
The talented pair have both been sidelined for some considerable time but there will be no room for manoeuvre as they seek a winning formula in Saturday’s extended two-mile handicap.
Tarlac faces 23 rivals as a maximum field was declared for a race that offers its winner the chance to bag an extra £75,000 by scoring again at the Cheltenham Festival the following week.
McCoy will be having only his second ride back since fracturing two vertebrae in a fall on January 12, while Tarlac has been out of action for almost a year.
With regard to the pair, Frank Berry, racing manager to Tarlac’s owner JP McManus said: “It will just be great to see Tony back a few days before the Festival.
“Nicky is very happy with Tarlac. He does have plenty of weight but he’s hoping he’ll run a good race.
“He had a few niggly problems that have kept him off the track, but Nicky’s happy with him now.
“We’ll hope he runs a big race and we’ll see how he goes before we look at Cheltenham. He’s in good form.”
Carl Llewellyn will be represented by Fredensborg, who limbered up for a crack at the race when scoring in impressive fashion at Kempton last month.
Owned by Sir Robert Ogden, the improving seven-year-old beat Leo’s Lucky Star by four lengths on that occasion and will be partnered by Tom O’Brien.
“He won a poor race last time and went up 10lb in the handicap for that,” said Llewellyn.
“This is much more competitive, but the race should suit him if there’s a good gallop and it’s a fast-run two miles.
“Hopefully he’s still improving, but he will need to be taking these on as it looks a hell of a good race.
“There’s loads of in-form horses in this race, as you always get, but he’s not without a chance.
“He’s in at Cheltenham as you never know.”
Nigel Twiston-Davies runs Platin Grounds, who eventually faded into 14th having led to the penultimate obstacle in another competitive race at Newbury last time.
“He ran very well in the totesport Trophy and he’ll appreciate the faster ground,” said the Naunton trainer.
Andrew Balding breathed a huge sigh of relief after Albinus crept into the race at the foot of the handicap.
Balding said: “I’m looking forward to it and I’m just very pleased that he got in as it was looking odds-against earlier in the week.
“The horse is in good shape, looks fairly handicapped and I’m hopeful of a good run from him.
“It’s been the plan to run here since he won his last race but we’ve just been in the lap of the Gods a bit as to whether we’d get in. Happily, we’re there.
“It’s a tougher test but he’s spot-on and he was a classy horse on the Flat.”
Albinus will not attempt to snatch the tantalising bonus on offer at Cheltenham even if he comes up trumps.
Balding continued: “We made the mistake of going for it with Scorned a few years ago (2004).
“He won the Imperial Cup and then went to Cheltenham and it finished him really, so we’ll just make Saturday the priority and not worry about anything else.”
