QASPAL LANDS IMPERIAL CUP GAMBLE

Qaspal hits the front under McCoy.

Qaspal ended Philip Hobbs' Paddy Power Imperial Cup drought and put himself in the reckoning for a £75,000 bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival when leading home a stable one-two at Sandown.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy wasted down to 10st 3lb and the betting public took notice by sending the JP McManus-owned six-year-old off as the 11-4 favourite.

Qaspal took issue with Oldrik jumping the second last but it was only climbing the hill that McCoy drove his mount into the lead and his willing partner rattled off a hat-trick with a two-length success.

Hobbs last landed the Imperial Cup with Moody Man in 1990 and he went on to follow up in the County Hurdle, although that was in the years prior to the generous bonus offer.

Hobbs' wife Sarah indicated the County may be the preferred option again despite him looking likely to miss the cut.

Mrs Hobbs said: "AP said he travelled very well and was pleased they went fast as he needed a decent pace.

"Hopefully we can double up now at Cheltenham next week.

"We need to talk to the trainer and to JP to decide which race to go for but we've gone down the County Hurdle route in the past."

McCoy added: "He was flat out all of the way but I always thought we would win from the last.

"The one thing you have to do here is come home well and to climb the hill. He lunged at the second last but the more he climbed, the more he picked up."

Paddy Power made Qaspal 5-2 favourite for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, victory in which would see connections land the sponsors' bumper cash bonus.

Sky Bet go 3-1 from 6s for that race and 5s from 12s for the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.

Matt Doyle of Sky Bet said: "Whether or not he gets in at Cheltenham, today's result was a terrible one for us. Punters took the hint with McCoy getting down to his minimum and it was the last thing we needed before the Festival."