Racing - Pipe's 'Ash' to glow in Imperial (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Racing - Pipe's 'Ash' to glow in Imperial

11:21am Saturday 8th March 2008

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THE Pipe's West Country stable have made a habit of winning the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival and ASHKAZAR is hard to oppose.

David Pipe's enthusiasm for the four-year-old is infectious, but you have to put the formbook to one side and simply respect what has been a time-honoured ritual for the stable in winning this event over the years.

There is a huge cash bonus if winning here and at the Festival - and David and Martin Pipe have been masters at plundering this type of roll-up.

Dangers are manifold and the presence of a race-hungry returning A. P. McCoy on Tarlac, a 20-1 shot from Nicky Henderson's very powerful stable, could set some wavering.At the foot of the handicap Albinus and Halla San have clearly been laid out for the race, but the Pipe runner gets the vote.

Henderson should have a winner in RAVELLO BAY, who comes with a tall reputation for the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Flat Race Final.

LOVELACE made up into a Group performer for Mark Johnston's Middleham stabel last year and is fancied to oblige at Wolverhampton in the 2.25.

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