Ballistic heads Sandown field

The veteran Go Ballistic heads a field of 20 for the Stg£125,000 Attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown tomorrow as the Henrietta Knight-trained 13-year-old bids to end his career on a high note.

As expected top weight Sackville, who ran at Punchestown on Wednesday, was taken out by Frances Crowley at today`s overnight stage.

In his absence the weights have gone up a further 10lb to bring Go Ballistic to be ridden by Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup and Martell Grand National winning jockey Jim Culloty, up to 11st 12lb.

Ad Hoc aims to become only the third horse to win the Sandown feature in successive years.

Larbawn (in 1968 and 1969) and Topsham Bay (1992 and 1993) were the only dual winners of the race under its former banner, the Whitbread Gold Cup which was first run in 1957.

And Ad Hoc won the final running of the Whitbread 12 months when carrying 10st 4lb. He has 11st 9lb this time.

His trainer Paul Nicholls has a strong hand in the three mile five and a half furlong stamina test as he also runs Montifault and Murt`s Man.

Another previous winner in the line-up is Beau, who trotted up by a distance in 2000 when carrying 10st 9lb. He has 14lb more on his plate tomorrow.

The nine-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, made an unlucky exit from the Grand National for the second successive year earlier this month.

All the leading fancies stood their ground including ante-post favourite Frenchman`s Creek and Carbury Cross, who was going well when unseating his rider seven out in the Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National last Saturday.