By Graham Clark
Sam Thomas hopes ‘cool dude’ Lump Sum can live up to his name and secure another big pay day for his yard in the Betfair Imperial Cup at Sandown Park on Saturday (March 8th).
The progressive seven-year-old tops the weights for the Premier Handicap Hurdle, which in 2025 and 2026 carries a £100,000 bonus offered by Sandown Park Racecourse to any horse that can win it and follow up with victory in any race at The Cheltenham Festival the following week.
Only three horses have secured similar bonuses in the past, with the Martin Pipe-trained pair of Olympian in 1993, and Blowing Wind in 1998, following up their Imperial Cup wins in the County Hurdle, before Gaspara, trained by Pipe’s son David, backed up her 2007 victory in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
And although Thomas admits a quick turnaround at The Festival is not currently top of the agenda for Lump Sum, who is the 5-1 favourite for Saturday’s two-mile prize with the race sponsor, he has not totally ruled out an outing in the William Hill County Hurdle on Gold Cup Day (Friday 14th March) should he win at the weekend.
Thomas said: “It’s the plan to run Lump Sum in the Imperial Cup. He does hold an entry in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, but he started way back in October so he has had a long season.
“However, that (going to Cheltenham afterwards) will be a discussion we have with the boss (Dai Walters, owner) should he win on Saturday.
“He has been mega this season. He is a cool dude and he is a lovely horse to have in the yard as he really enjoys his jumping.
“He has got to carry a lot of weight on Saturday, which will make it hard, but it is great to have a horse to compete in races like this.”
After winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on his return Lump Sum then filled the runner-up spot, pitched into Grade One company, in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle before finishing last of four behind Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
However, having shown he can handle carrying a big weight when finding only Joyeuse too strong in a valuable handicap hurdle at Newbury last month former jockey Thomas is confident the Authorized gelding can feature prominently again.
Thomas added: “It was a great run behind Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth. Although we never got him off the bridle it proved just how good Sir Gino is.
“I think racing against Constitution Hill is enough to dishearten any horse and he didn’t really have a great time in the Christmas Hurdle.
“He felt good before his last run at Newbury and he ended up running well there carrying another big weight.
"This is another big ask, but if he is in that same sort of form as he was at Newbury he should go well.
“He is not the biggest horse so he doesn’t want to be carrying those big weights all the time, but there was enough encouragement last time to suggest he can handle it.
“I don’t see the track at Sandown Park being any problem as he is pretty versatile and he has got enough experience behind him.
“He goes on any ground and it wouldn’t be any concern if it dries out a little bit.”
And whatever the outcome for Lump Sum at the weekend Thomas, who has already passed the £500,000 barrier in prize-money this season, believes he can provide the yard even more success when switched to fences next term.
Thomas added: “He will go novice chasing next season so there is still lots to look forward to.
“You always hope they will improve for a fence and if he does you could be talking about him being a graded novice chaser which is really exciting.
“We’ve had some big Saturday winners this season, but we have some lovely horses in the yard.
“The boss puts a lot into it and the staff do a great job so it is nice to see their hard work rewarded.”
Betfair Imperial Cup, latest Betfair odds:
5-1 Lump Sum
7-1 Wreckless Eric, Bo Zenith
8-1 Afadil, Batman Girac
10-1 Go Dante
12-1 To Chase A Dream, Ooh Betty, Welsh Charger
14-1 Spirits Bay, Tintintin
16-1 Just Ennemi, Tom Doniphon, Imaginarium, Knight Of Allen, Knickerbockerglory
20-1 Big Ginge, We're Red And Blue, Hardy Du Seuil
25-1 Golden Maverick, Sorceleur, King William Rufus, All In You
33-1 Norman Fletcher
40-1 Moon ChimeHe's A Latchico
50-1 Tapley
66-1 Maasai Mara
Betfair spokesman, Barry Orr, commented: “It is a fantastic set of entries for an historic race. You can set your watch by Sam Thomas in big handicaps this season and his Lump Sum is favourite in early skirmishes.
“The £100,000 Sandown Park bonus for any horse that wins the Betfair Imperial Cup and follows up with a win at next week’s Cheltenham Festival adds further intrigue to an already fascinating contest. Hopefully someone can land that prize.”
Before Lump Sum takes to the track stablemate C’Est Different will bid to follow up recent wins at Carlisle and Chepstow in the European Breeders’ Fund Betfair ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final over two and a half miles.
Thomas added: “C’Est Different will go for the EBF Final, but unfortunately the ground is likely to be too quick for Shomen Uchi in the three-mile handicap chase later on the card.
“Usually, a rating of 109 would not get you in a race like the EBF but hopefully he should sneak in at the bottom of the weights.
“It was a poor race on paper that he won up at Carlisle so we thought we would have a go.
“As he didn’t have a penalty for that, our hands were forced to turn him out again quickly at Chepstow. He is a nice horse and he is in good form so hopefully he can run well.”