Prior to the launch of the Champion Hurdle in 1927 the Imperial Cup was considered the most prestigous hurdle race of the National Hunt season. The race is now run at sandown racecourse as a listed handicap over an extended two miles.
The race takes place on the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival. As an added incentive to get horses running ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, the race sponsor,currently Paddy Power, offers a bonus if the winner can double up in any race at the big meeting. The Pipe stable have a great record in this race (and securing the bonus). Horses who have won here and at the festival include Olympian (who won the 1993 Coral Cup at Cheltenham), Blowing Wind (1998 County Hurdle) and Gaspara (2007 Fred Winter Hurdle).
Imperial Cup Stats
Form: 7 of the last 10 winners finished in the first two last time out
Break: The last 10 winners had their previous race between 9 and 92 days beforehand.
Trainer: The Pipe stable have won this on 4 occasions in the last decade and 8 times in all. The last win came in 2007.
Jockey: AP McCoy has ridden three winners of this race in the last ten years.
Favourite: 5 winning favourites in the last 10. Last years winner Paintball was the highest priced winner in the decade at 20-1.
Weight: The last 9 winners have carried 10-13 or less. 5 of the 9 carried 10-3 or less.
Age: 8 out of 10 between 4yo and 6yo
Rating: 4 of the last 5 winners were officially rated between 126 and 130.
Imperial Cup Winners 2003-2012
| YEAR | FORM | HORSE | A/G | WGT | LTO | TRAINER | JOCKEY | OR | SP |
| 2012 | 537 | Paintball (Ire) (D) | 5g | 10-7 | 92 | CE Longsdon | N Fehily | 128 | 20-1 |
| 2012 | 537 | Paintball (Ire) (D) | 5g | 10-7 | 92 | CE Longsdon | N Fehily | 128 | 20-1 |
| 2012 | 537 | Paintball (Ire) (D) | 5g | 10-7 | 92 | CE Longsdon | N Fehily | 128 | 20-1 |
| 2011 | 322 | Alarazi (Ire) (D) | 7g | 10-3 | 42 | Mrs L Wadham | D Elsworth | 126 | 10-1 |
| 2010 | 611 | Qaspal (Fr) (CD) | 6g | 10-3 | 22 | PJ Hobbs | AP McCoy | 124 | 11-4F |
| 2009 | 548 | Dave’s Dream (Ire) (D) | 6g | 10-13 | 21 | NJ Henderson | BJ Geraghty | 130 | 12-1 |
| 2008 | 141 | Ashkazar (Fr) (CD) | 4g | 10-12 | 34 | D Pipe | TJ Murphy | 135 | 10-3F |
| 2007 | 211 | Gaspara (Fr) | 4m | 10-5 | 36 | D Pipe | AP McCoy | 126 | 11-4F |
| 2006 | 13P | Victram (Ire) (D) | 6h | 10-3 | 56 | A McGuinness | AE Lynch | 114 | 8-1 |
| 2005 | 311 | Medison (Fr) (D) | 5g | 10-1 | 9 | MC Pipe | TJ Murphy | 118 | 9-2F |
| 2004 | 262 | Scorned (GER) | 9g | 10-3 | 27 | AM Balding | B Fenton | 118 | 14-1 |
| 2003 | 141 | Korelo (Fr) | 5g | 11-6 | 21 | MC Pipe | AP McCoy | 129 | 9-4F |
