Sandown passes inspection for Saturday card Saturday’s meeting at Sandown will go ahead as originally planned after both the hurdles and chase tracks passed an inspection on Thursday morning. Heavy rain earlier in the week had left the venue waterlogged in places, with the chase track rated in better shape than the hurdles course and a provisional six-race card over fences planned. That stand-by card will not be required though, as clerk of the course Andrew Cooper found conditions to have improved with the hurdles track now fit for action and the ground reported to be heavy soft in places. The feature event of the seven-race fixture is the Grade One Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and the going over fences is rated slightly better as soft, heavy in places. A statement from the track said: “Following an inspection this morning, the decision has been made to continue with our original seven-race programme on Saturday, including both hurdle and chase races. “Whilst no further inspection is currently planned, we will continue to monitor the conditions over the next 48 hours and provide an update should it be necessary.” Ahead of the Sandown fixture, the Esher venue has announced the reinstatement on a £100,000 bonus for any horse which wins the Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle before doubling up at the Cheltenham Festival. The March 8 contest takes place just three days before the start of the Festival, with only three horses having won the prize when it was previously offered. Olympian (1993 Coral Cup), Blowing Wind (1998 County Hurdle) and Gaspara (2007 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) all hailed from the Nicholashayne yard in Somerset belonging to the Pipe family, with Martin Pipe saddling Olympian and Blowing Wind, while Gaspara was trained by his son and successor David. The bonus would see the winning owner take home £60,000, with £20,000 to the winning trainer, £10,000 to the winning yard and £10,000 to the winning jockey – split in half if different jockeys ride at Sandown and Cheltenham. Sarah Drabwell, Sandown’s general manager, said: “We are delighted to reintroduce the Imperial Cup bonus this year. “We have seen some high-quality horses win the Imperial Cup and go on to take their place at the Festival just a few days later and we hope the same happens again in 2025. “It would take a special horse to win the bonus but it has been done before and we hope it can be done again.” Thursday’s card at Wincanton also got the go-ahead after a morning check. An inspection was planned for 8am but officials were able to make an earlier call, with the ground described as heavy.
