Imperial chases an 'away' win

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander will be aiming to buck a trend when he makes his seasonal debut in tomorrow's Grade One Lancashire Chase at Haydock.

Six of his seven victories over jumps have come at Cheltenham and his sole win in seven starts away from his local track was in a novices' hurdle at Newcastle in early 2007.

Imperial Commander (3.25pm) is odds-on to beat six rivals in the £200,000 three-mile event, the same race in which he went down by a whisker to Kauto Star last season.

Tomorrow's outing will be the first of just three races this season for the nine-year-old gelding according to trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has earmarked the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham as his other targets.

Imperial Commander, who will be ridden by Paddy Brennan, is a much better horse when he is fresh, hence the understandable decision to give him plenty of time between his races.

"I hope that he is better than ever this year," said Twiston-Davies. "He has not had a lot of racing and there are not too many miles on the clock. We hope he can just keep going."