It’s the calm before the storm this weekend with the Cheltenham Festival looming large. But before that, this Saturday will see the Imperial Cup at Sandown as the feature race – a contest that’s linked into the Festival with a sponsors £100k bonus on offer – more on that below.
The 2026 Imperial Cup will also see the winner of the last two years – Go Dante – back for more, so can he land a famous treble?
See Andy Newton’s thoughts on the big Sandown race, plus his key Imperial Cup trends to apply to the final runners.
Imperial Cup Betting Tips: Go Dante Bids For Famous Imperial Cup Treble
The Gary and Josh Moore-trained Mondo Man could be well-handicapped off 123, but he’s been well-found in the market now and looks little value.
Yes, he was an easy winner last time at Plumpton, but he was sent off 1/7 that day in a race that lacked depth.
Dan Skelton won this in 2021 with Langer Dan and has a fair chance with Brace For Landing.
He gets in here with just 10-7 to carry and ran better last time here at Sandown than his finishing position (5th) suggests.
With only five runs there should be more to come.
Rubber Ball was well backed a week ago and duly obliged at Newbury. He’s up 8lbs here, but clearly in good heart, as is the Neil King team – who are 4-5 (80%) in recent days.
Wreakless Eric was runner-up in this 12 months ago and is back 3lbs lower so has to be noted too.
Go Dante Is Unbeaten At Sandown Park
However, surely the winner of the race for the last two seasons – GO DANTE – is over-priced at 12/1?
Yes, he’s not getting any younger at 10 and was pulled up behind recently supplemented Champion Hurdle runner Tutti Quanti last time.
But the key to this Olly Murphy horse is Sandown.
He simply loves the Esher track – heading here 3-3, including two wins in the Imperial Cup and another here back in December.
Up just 2lbs for that last success and 5lbs higher than when winning this in 2025 means he’s got more find.
But with a certain Sean Bowen in the saddle and a recent wind op, the old boy could just find that improvement.
If he can go in again, he’d be he winning-most Imperial Cup horse in the history of the race.
Of the rest, I think Top Jimmy is also a bit over-priced.
The Twiston-Davies team have won this prize twice since 2016 (Flying Angel and Mr Antolini) and this 6yold has been running well this season.
Notably when a close second to Scorpio Rising (runs in the 1:50 Sandown on Saturday) and two runs ago here.
When third to the Turners favourite No Drama This End – beaten only 8 1/4 lengths.
Those runs both came over 2m4f, but having raced well for much of the contests, the drop back in trip here will help.
🥇GO DANTE
🥈RUBBER BALL
🥉TOP JIMMY
WATCH: Go Dante Winning The 2025 Imperial Cup at Sandown
Imperial Cup Betting Trends 2026 📈
- 20/22 – Raced within the last 6 weeks
- 19/22 – Won between 1-2 times over hurdles
- 19/22 – Rated 124 or higher
- 19/22 – Won no more than twice over hurdles
- 17/22 – Carried 10-13 or less
- 16/22 – Aged 6 or younger
- 15/22 – Won over at least 2m1f (hurdles) before
- 13/22 – Carried 10-8 or less
- 12/22 – Winning distance – 3 ½ lengths or more
- 12/22 – Winners that went onto run at the Cheltenham Festival (1 winner, Gaspara – Fred Winter)
- 11/22 – Finished in the top two last time out
- 10/22 – Aged 4 or 5 years-old
- 9/22 – Returned a double-figure price in the betting
- 7/22 – French bred
- 7/22 – Had raced at Sandown (hurdles) before – 3 had won there before
- 7/22 – Raced at either Cheltenham (2), Sandown (2) or Ascot (2) last time out
- 6/22 – Favourites
- 6/22 – Won their last race
- 5/22 – Won by the Pipe stable (have won it 9 times in all)
- 2/22 – Won by an Irish-trained horse
- 2/22 – Ridden by Harry Cobden (2 of the last 6)
- 2/22 – Trained by Paul Nicholls (2 of the last 6)
- 2/22 – Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 of last 9)
- Go Dante (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen) has won the last 2 runnings
- Olympian (1993), Blowing Wind (1998) and Gaspara (2007) landed the Imperial Cup bonus (won a race at the Cheltenham Festival)
- The average winning SP in the last 22 years is 11/1
- Only 2 back-to-back winners since 1949 (Secret Service, Go Dante)
Imperial Cup Date 2026 🗓️
📅Date: Saturday 7th March 2026
⌚Time: 2:27pm
🏇Racecourse: Sandown
🔄Trip: 2m
💷Winning Purse: £51,440
📺 TV: ITV Racing / Racing TV
Is There a Sandown Imperial Cup Bonus In 2026? 💷
Yes, there is an Imperial Cup bonus in 2026.
Meaning if the winner of the Sandown race goes onto win ANY 2026 Cheltenham Festival race they will scoop £100,00 extra for their owners.
The bonus is put up by the race sponsors Betfair.
Who Were The Last Horses To Win The Imperial Cup Bonus? 💷
In recent years, we’ve had a few horses go close to landing the Imperial Cup bonus.
Including the 2021 winner Langer Dan, who went into be second in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
But in his defence, was beaten that year by the subsequent two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs.
Meaning we have to go back to 2007 to find the last horse to win the Imperial Cup bonus – which was the David Pipe-trained Gaspara.
Before him it was two more Pipe runners – Blowing Wind (1998) and Olympian (1993).
Recent Imperial Cup Winners
- 2025 – GO DANTE (6/1)
- 2024 – GO DANTE (5/1 jfav)
- 2023 – ICEO (5/1)
- 2022 – SURPRISE PACKAGE (20/1)
- 2021 – LANGER DAN (5/1)
- 2020 – Abandoned
- 2019 – MALAYA (7/1)
- 2018 – MR ANTOLINI (20/1)
- 2017 – LONDON PRIZE (10/1)
- 2016 – FLYING ANGEL (9/1)
- 2015 – EBONY EXPRESS (33/1)
