Qaspal heads Hobbs' Imperial pair

Qaspal ended Philip Hobbs' Paddy Power Imperial Cup drought today and put himself in the reckoning for a £75,000 (€82,829) bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival when leading home a stable one-two at Sandown.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy wasted down to 10st 3lb and the betting public took notice by sending the JP McManus-owned six-year-old off as the 11-4 favourite.

Qaspal took issue with Oldrik jumping the second last but it was only climbing the hill that McCoy drove his mount into the lead and his willing partner rattled off a hat-trick with a two-length success.

Hobbs last landed the Imperial Cup with Moody Man in 1990 and he went on to follow up in the County Hurdle, although that was in the years prior to the generous bonus offer.

Hobbs' wife Sarah indicated the County may be the preferred option again despite him looking likely to miss the cut.

Ladbrokes make him the 4-1 favourite for that race and the 3-1 market leader for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

Mrs Hobbs said: "AP said he travelled very well and was pleased they went fast as he needed a decent pace.

"Hopefully we can double up now at Cheltenham next week.

"We need to talk to the trainer and to JP to decide which race to go for but we've gone down the County Hurdle route in the past."

McCoy added: "He was flat out all of the way but I always thought we would win from the last.

"The one thing you have to do here is come home well and to climb the hill. He lunged at the second last but the more he climbed, the more he picked up."

McCoy then teamed up with Bob Buckler to provide the West Country maestro with his first winner for five weeks as the giant Mizzurka (4-1) proved superior with her third win on the bounce in the DBS/EBF Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Final.

Buckler said: "She has been my darling all the way along and everything has gone right with her.

"We have given her time to mature and have nurtured her. She's a lovely, classy, big mare and will make a super chaser in time.

"I have trained her specifically for today so I image that will be it for the season."

The rest of the afternoon was dominated by Paul Nicholls, with the champion trainer saddling his 100th winner of the season and breaking through the £2 million prize-money mark after a near 37-1 treble courtesy of the Ruby Walsh-ridden Red Harbour, Meanus Dandy and Tchico Polos.

"It has been a good day and it is nice to get the 100th winner before Cheltenham," said Nicholls.

Tchico Polos brought up his hat-trick and after competing against the likes of Somersby, Long Run and Punchestowns, he had little trouble kicking clear as the 4-6 favourite in the Paddy Power Extra Places At Cheltenham Novices' Chase.

Nicholls said: "He'll head to Punchestown next month for their Grade One Novice Chase.

"He wants to go right-handed so that is the obvious place to go."

Red Harbour has earlier sunk two rivals in an intense photo-finish climax to the EBF Paddy Power "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final.

The 4-1 favourite jumped the final flight upsides Babysitter and the luckless Ranjobaie and the trio battled up the hill to cross the line in unison.

The judge kept the crowds waiting while studying the image before calling Red Harbour the short-head victor, with Ranjobaie just a nose adrift in third.

Nicholls said: "This has been the plan since he finished second at Ascot and I have been pleased to see Lush Life come out of that race and win.

"He is in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' race at Cheltenham on Friday and he may just get in with a penalty.

"He could well run there but if he doesn't, I'll take him to Aintree to run over three miles as he is crying out for a trip."

The middle leg of the treble came as Meanus Dandy left his early-season form behind to oblige as the 7-2 joint favourite in the paddypower.com Handicap Chase, while Soulard (7-1) was awarded the closing Paddy Power Money Back Specials At Cheltenham Handicap Chase in the stewards' room.

Busy Isit was first past the post but the placings were reversed as the pair came very close in the finish.

Busy Isit's jockey Felix De Giles was banned for three days (March 27-29 inclusive) after being found guilty of careless riding.