Commander pleases in Warwick spin

Reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Imperial Commander pleased trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in a gallop at Warwick Racecourse on Monday morning.

The 10-year-old won on his seasonal reappearance in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 20 but missed the King George VI Chase at Kempton due to a setback.

He'll go straight to the Festival now as he bids to retain his Gold Cup crown on March 18th.

"He's just come back from Warwick racecourse where he galloped over two miles this morning," Twiston-Davies told At The Races.

"He went really well and that's his first really serious raecourse gallop.

"He'll go to Kempton on Racing Post Chase day and have another gallop there and hopefully that will put him absolutely brilliant for the Gold Cup."

Sky Bet rate him a 3/1 chance for the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month.