Go Dante Aiming For Record Third Imperial Cup Success

Go Dante will bid for a piece of history at Sandown on Saturday by ending up being the first three-time winner of the Betfair Imperial Cup.


Olly Murphy's veteran has actually declared narrow success in the last 2 editions of the prominent handicap, which is the standard highlight the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival gets under way.


Betfair are offering a ₤ 100,000 perk to the connections of the winner ought to the exact same horse go on to win any race at Cheltenham next week, however Go Dante does not hold any Festival engagements, with Murphy focusing on Saturday's prize for a horse who is 3 from three at Sandown but has disappointed on his last couple of trips at Windsor and Newbury.


"He's a couple of pounds higher than last year, however he loves the track and hopefully with a little luck in running he'll run well again," stated the Warren Chase handler.


"In his last couple of runs they've gone really, extremely fast early on flat tracks and it hasn't suited him, so hopefully returning to a stiffer track will fit.


"It would be nice to win for a third time. We understand he likes the location and we're anticipating running him."


Go Dante in winning action at Sandown (John Walton/PA)


Murphy will have a second string to his bow in the kind of Fingle Bridge, who reverted to the smaller sized obstacles to complete second at Warwick last month following three runs over fences.


Murphy included: "He's going to run also. He did excessive at Warwick the last day, so we're hanging back in trip on a stiff track.


"He's certainly great horse with a huge engine and hopefully a run in a handicap the last day will have honed him up again. He ought to go there with a possibility."


Fingle Bridge is the joint top-rated horse together with the Dan Skelton-trained Knickerbockerglory in a 30-strong list of entries.


Other contenders include Ben Clarke's elite mare Ooh Betty, the JP McManus-owned Khrisma from Nicky Henderson's lawn, Chris Gordon's General Briar and Mondo Man, trained by the father-and-son collaboration of Gary and Josh Moore.


Olly Murphy might also run two in the ₤ 80,000 European Breeders' Fund Betfair "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final, with the prolific Scorpio Rising set to be joined by stablemate Gee Force Flyer.


Scorpio Rising appears his greatest hope having actually won his last 3 races, with Masked Man (Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies), (David Pipe) and Kaka's Cousin (Jonjo and AJ O'Neill) others in the mix for a fiercely-competitive heat.


Murphy said: "Scorpio Rising looks progressive and I think the track and trip and everything will match him well.


"He remains in truly great type, came out of Windsor well and hopefully he's enhancing.


"We 'd welcome a bit more rain for Gee Force Flyer however the stiff track will match him well, he's feasibly handicapped and this race has actually been the plan for a very long time with him."