Qaspal gets Paddy Power Imperial Cup run with a decent chance

TRAINER Philip Hobbs and leading owner J P McManus were breathing a huge sigh of relief this morning after Qaspal managed to get a run in Saturday’s 70,000 Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown a run which could possibly have huge implications for the six-year-old also getting an opportunity at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.

For every good luck story in racing, there is a bad luck one and this week’s Paddy Power Imperial Cup ante-post gamble Hunterview was declared to run but was eliminated. Perhaps the only good news to come out of this is that Paddy will refund ante-post bets on him.

Meanwhile Qaspal is now 5-1 favourite (from 11-2) with Paddy for his Imperial Cup and Hobbs said: “Having got into the Paddy Power Imperial Cup, hopefully Qaspal will have a decent chance.”

“It will be different ground than before at Sandown but hopefully he goes with a good chance. He’s been very good since the Sandown run with no problems at all.”

“A win for Qaspal will allow Hobbs to have a crack at a 75,000 bonus from Paddy Power to the connections of the winner of this race should the same horse go on to win any race at the 2010 Festival Meeting at Cheltenham from March 16th-19th, 2010. This will be distributed as follows: 50,000 to the winning owner, 15,000 to the winning trainer and 10,000 to the winning stable.”

Hobbs continued: “As far as running for the Paddy Power bonus at Cheltenham goes, you’d like to think it’s a possibility, but of course, he has to win on Saturday and then get in at Cheltenham.”

“Even if he does get a 5lb penalty for either the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle or the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle, he might struggle to get in and he’d run in whichever he can get in.”

Qaspal is 6-1 favourite with Paddy for the Martin Pipe and a 10-1 chance for the County with the universe’s friendliest bookie.

So far David Pipe, who suffered the disappointment of Hunterview not getting in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup meaning that he won’t have a runner this year, and his father Martin are the only trainers to have pulled off the Paddy Power Imperial Cup-Festival race double, scooping the additional pot in the process. Martin managed it twice courtesy of Olympian (1993) and Blowing Wind five years’ later. The former went on to win the Coral Cup, while Blowing Wind landed the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.

David emulated his dad in 2007 with Gaspara, who later was an easy five length winner of the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle in the colours of a certain Mr M C Pipe!

In 2008 he again won the Paddy Power Imperial Cup with Ashkazar, who was three and a half lengths too powerful for Fredensborg under an inspired Timmy Murphy ride, but the winner was unable to cope with Crack Away Jack in the Fred Winter in which he went down by two and a half lengths.

Last year David again came close to landing the Paddy Power Imperial Cup when Seven Is My Number found only Dave’s Dream too good.

Paddy Power said: “A Paddy Power Imperial Cup without a David Pipe runner is like a wedding with no bride but we’ll march on anyway! Qaspal is a worthy favourite for our race, but whether he is for the Martin Pipe contest is debatable as he really must win on Saturday to get a run at Cheltenham.”

Paddy Power will pay a very cool FIVE places each-way on the Paddy Power Imperial Cup.

Paddy Power Imperial Cup

Paddy Power bets:

• 5-1 Qaspal
• 13-2 Pepe Simo
• 10-1 Aather, Press The Button
• 12-1 Oldrik, Tocca Ferro
• 14-1 Caravel
• 16-1 Pascha Bere
• 18-1 Wade Farm Billy
• 20-1 Dani’s Girl, Tender Falcon
• 25-1 Stradbrook, Numide, Pistolet Noir, Callisto Moon, Cool Touch, Katies Tuitor, El Dancer, Cheshire Prince
• 33-1 Chaninbar, Treaty Flyer, Tilt, Dontpaytheferryman, Border Castle, Sambulando
• 40-1 Kanad

Meanwhile there was an entry stage for Cheltenham’s Wednesday races today and Paddy now bets:

National Hunt Chase

Paddy Power bets:

• 6-1 Any Currency
• 7-1 Massasoit
• 8-1 Synchronised
• 9-1 Abbeybraney
• 12-1 Thetarical Moment, Petitfour, Becauseicouldntsee, Saddlers Storm
• 16-1 Poker De Sivola, Fabulu, Mobaasher

Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle

Paddy Power bets:

• 7-2 Rite Of Passage
• 5-1 Quel Esprit
• 13-2 Finians Rainbow
• 9-1 Peddlers Cross
• 12-1 Reve De Sivola
• 14-1 Fionnegas, Quantativeeasing
• 16-1 Summit Meeting
• 22-1 Manyriverstocross

RSA Chase

Paddy Power bets:

• 9-4 Long Run
• 7-2 Punchestowns
• 7-1 Weird Al
• 8-1 Diamond Harry
• 9-1 Weapons Amnesty
• 12-1 The Nightingale
• 16-1 Burton Port
• 25-1 Knockara Beau, Citizen Vic

Queen Mother Champion Chase

Paddy Power bets:

• 5-6 Master Minded
• 9-2 Kalahari King
• 7-1 Twist Magic
• 8-1 Forpadydeplasterer
• 9-1 Big Zeb
• 20-1 Petit Robin
• 28-1 Barker
• 33-1 Well Chief

Coral Cup

Paddy Power bets:

• 7-1 Quantativeeasing
• 8-1 Mourad
• 10-1 Beshabar
• 11-1 Wishfull Thinking
• 12-1 Spirit River
• 14-1 Lake Legend, City Theatre, Shadow Dancer, Dorset Square

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

Paddy Power bets:

• 7-1 Notus De La Tour, Sanctuaire
• 8-1 Hunterview
• 9-1 Capellanus
• 11-1 Open Day
• 12-1 Doctor Deejay, Olofi, Orzare, Gilded Age, Bothy, Son Amix

Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Paddy Power bets:

• 11-2 Elegant Concorde
• 8-1 Drumballo, Hidden Universe, Day Of A Lifetime
• 9-1 Al Ferof, Shot From The Hip
• 11-1 Tavern Times
• 14-1 Bishopsfurze
• 16-1 Up Ou That, Lios A Choill