Bonus time for Pipe

On form, Polar Red certainly seems capable of emulating his former stablemates, especially with Tony McCoy - at present on track to beat Sir Gordon Richards' record of 269 winners in a season - in the saddle.

Polar Red's cramped odds of 11-8 do no more than emphasise the old racing adage that a short-priced winner is better than a long-priced loser, and to get a decent each-way return, one will have to be looking at a 20-1 shot or longer.

Some would claim that Polar Red's first three hurdle starts for Pipe are enough to put punters off at such skinny odds.

The bold chestnut, who was formerly trained to win five races on the flat by Mick Ryan, disappointed on all of those initial hurdling efforts, twice beaten when odds-on.

However, there was better to come from the son of Polar Falcon, and in January he romped home in a novice handicap at Cheltenham by a leisurely five lengths from Eternal Spring, a very useful Flat performer in his days on the level.

Eternal Spring franked that form no end in a similar hurdling event two weeks later at Newbury which sent Polar Red's rating soaring by a massive 23lb.

That ensured he would not have a lenient weight for the Imperial, but age is on his side.

In the last 14 stagings of the highlight at the Esher venue, thirteen winners have been aged between five and seven years old.

Polar Red, at five, is approaching his peak, and can take the bookmakers' money before going on to a lucrative follow-up in either the Supreme Novices' Hurdle or the County Handicap Hurdle at jump racing's headquarters in Gloucestershire.

Meanwhile, Gary Moore, who runs Tikram in the feature, has been searching for the right jockey to ride his gelding.

The Woodingdean trainer had been hoping to book Dean Gallagher, as the talented rider has been placed three times on Tikram this season.

But Gallagher has opted to partner Paul Webber's Tarasco, another who comes into calculations following his pleasing second to Keen Leader at Uttoxeter and a highly satisfactory gallop at Webber's Banbury stables on Wednesday.

Tikram, in his placed efforts, has finished close to several good horses. His second to Benbyas in a valuable race at Cheltenham was meritorious and his third behind Marble Arch in another rich event at Ascot, demonstrated that he is coming right at just the correct juncture. With Leighton Aspell, an admirable replacement for Gallagher, now taking the ride, Tikram could be the one to follow Polar Red home.

Rooster Booster, third behind shock winner Ibal (unlikely to run) in the corresponding event last year, deserves consideration following his strong finishing second to Copeland in Newbury's Tote Gold Trophy but he has been raised 6lb for that recent effort.

Majlis is another who has caught the attentions of the handicapper. His hattrick has resulted in a 12lb weight-rise but there was a lot to like about the manner of his victory in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton where he beat Copeland.

Progressive Through The Rye, who is trained by lottery-winning farmer Edwin Tuer, and the consistent but luckless Fait le Jojo, are others to consider but neither should stop the Pipe-McCoy bandwagon rolling on.

Selections for tomorrow's Sunderlands Imperial Cup Hurdle: 1, Polar Red (nap); 2, Tikram; 3, Tarasco; 4, Majlis.