Sport

Only eight acceptors for Leopardstown's big feature

Leading Gold Cup hopes Dorans Pride and Imperial Call will face a small field when they warm up for Cheltenham on Sunday

Tue Feb 03 1998 - 00:00

Leading Gold Cup hopes Dorans Pride and Imperial Call will face a small field when they warm up for Cheltenham on Sunday. The pair were among only eight acceptors yesterday for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown, which failed to attract a single supplementary entry.

Addington Boy, One Man, Rough Quest, Suny Bay and The Grey Monk were each withdrawn, leaving only Go Ballistic and Hermes Harvest to represent Britain.

Last year's winner Danoli is also out due to injury.

Dorans Pride is 7 to 1 second favourite for the Gold Cup with Ladbrokes while Imperial Call, who won the Hennessy in 1996 en route to victory at Cheltenham, is 8 to 1 joint third favourite with the same firm.

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Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup acceptors: Anabatic (trained by M O'Brien), Corket (A P O'Brien), Dorans Pride (M Hourigan), Go Ballistic (J O'Shea), Hermes Harvest (D Williams, Imperial Call (F Sutherland), Merry Gale (J Dreaper), Dun Belle (P Fahy).

Meanwhile, Martin Pipe confirmed no fewer than six of his 10 original entries for the Tote Bookmakers Sandown Handicap Hurdle on Saturday, for which 23 in total were declared yesterday.

The champion trainer's Allegation tops the weights on 11st 10lb, with stable-companions Daraydan, Big Strand, Danjing, Runaway Pete and Harbour Island also among the entries.

Mistinguett, impressive winner of Saturday's Cleeve Hurdle, will carry a 6lb penalty for her 15length success over Bimsey at Cheltenham, taking her up to joint top weight.

The six-year-old mare's trainer Nigel Twiston Davies reports her "fine" and on course for Sandown. "She was very impressive on Saturday and she's fine after the race so we are heading for Sandown," he said.

"She's not very big but she's carried big weights before and it hasn't bothered her."

Jimmy FitzGerald, who won the race with Special Vintage (1989) and Trainglot (1993 and 1996), will saddle Whip Hand. "Whip Hand seems OK and is an intended runner on Saturday," said the trainer's son Tim. "We don't have any firm plans for him - we'll just see how he gets on Saturday."

Splendid Thyne, winner of his last three starts, is also an intended runner in the £40,000-added contest. He will renew rivalry with Jenny Pitman's Princeful, beaten two and a half lengths by Terry Casey's charge last time but 2lb better off at Sandown.

Coral have installed Big Strand and Splendid Thyne as their 5 to 1 joint-favourites for the Tote Bookmakers Sandown Handicap Hurdle. The Jenny Pitman-trained Princeful is next best at 6 to 1, with Mistinguett at 8 to 1.

William Hill make Big Strand their 9 to 2 clear market leader for the 22-furlong event. And Ladbrokes have Big Strand at 7 to 2 favourite following his promising run at Kempton last week.