DOCTOOR was yesterday installed favourite by the sponsors to win the £30,000- added Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday. The seven-year-old, set to carry 10st 10lb when the weights were published yesterday, is rated an 11 to 2 chance.

But Ladbrokes were not nearly so generous, chalking up the Martin Pipe-trained gelding at 7 to 2.

He is bidding to follow up the victory of Olympian, winner of the same event for the stable four years ago.

Doctoor, previously trained by Roland O'Sullivan, has raced just twice for Pipe returning after a near three-year absence to finish third at Chepstow at the beginning of last month.

That race was clouded in controversy as the gelding's rider Ben Moore was banned for four days for breaking the non-triers rules.

Doctoor then proceeded to hack up, over the Imperial Cup course and distance, on his only other outing.

Pipe is likely to be eyeing the £50,000 bonus on offer by the sponsors to any horse winning the Imperial Cup and any race at the Cheltenham Festival.

He scooped the extra cash when Olympian went on to win the Coral Cup. Doctoor's Cheltenham option is the County Hurdle.

More Dash Thancash, quoted at 8 to 1 by the sponsors, is by no means guaranteed to take his chance.

Merrita Jones' gelding has been raised 10lb by the handicapper for his easy victory at Doncaster last week.

Mrs Jones' husband Louis said: "I don't know whether he'll run as it depends on the ground, he wouldn't want it any softer.

"He won fairly convincingly at Doncaster, so turning out seven days later wouldn't be a problem.

"But in some ways I wish he hadn't won at Doncaster because he's gone up 10lb in the weights."