Imperial Cup

Sandown, in Esher, Surrey, is one of the premier racecourses in the London area and is part of Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns and operates 14 of Britain's racecourses.

Sandown, which held its first race meeting in 1875, stages both Flat and jump horse racing, including famous Flat horse races such as the Eclipse Stakes in July and the Tingle Creek Chase over jumps.

The Imperial Cup was first run in 1907 and was the most important hurdle race of the season until the Champion Hurdle was instituted in 1927. It was won three times by Trespasser (1920-1922), with Secret Service (1949 & 1950), High Point (1952 & 1953) and Precious Boy (1991 & 1994) other multiple winners.

The race was sponsored by bookmaker Sunderlands from 1992 until 2008 and has been backed by Paddy Power since 2009. The sponsors offer a big bonus should the winner go on to score in any race at the Cheltenham Festival the following week and the money has been landed by Olympian (1993), Blowing Wind (1998) and Gaspara (2007). Floyd (1985) and Moody Man (1990) both won the Imperial Cup at Sandown and the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in the days before the bonus.

Martin Pipe won the race six times (Travel Mystery 1989, Olympian 1993, Blowing Wind 1998, Polar Red 2002, Korelo 2003, Medison 2005) and his son David has won it twice (Gaspara 2007, Ashkazar 2008). Another father and son to have trained winners are Ian Balding (Insular 1986) and Andrew Balding (Scorned 2004).

Tony McCoy has ridden four Imperial Cup winners (Blowing Wind 1998, Polar Red 2002, Korelo 2003, Gaspara 2007). Timmy Murphy (Medison 2005, Ashkazar 2008) is the only other current jockey to have won the race more than once.

• Nicky Henderson won the race as a jockey on Acquaint in 1977 and as a trainer with Dave's Dream in 2009.


• Imperial Cup winners Lanzarote (1973) and Collier Bay (1995) both went on to win the Champion Hurdle.


• Winning owners include the Queen Mother (Insular 1986) and actor James Bolam (King Credo 1992).


• Have a look at the RP's horse racing tips if you're interested in who the next winner of the Imperial Cup might be