Nigel Twiston-Davies has laughed off claims that Imperial Commander is too old to win the Gold Cup at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
The ten-year-old powered to victory in the race at last year’s meeting and remains on course for a trip to Prestbury Park to defend his crown next month.
With the likes of Kauto Star and Denman set to run in the race, Twiston-Davies believes that his stable star is far from over the hill and has the advantage of having fewer runs in this sensational career.
"How old was Kauto Star comparatively, when you think how early he started?" he asked.
"Imperial Commander has had very few runs. He started at a very late age, so this ageing thing doesn't seem the same with horses - it depends how much they have done. It's miles on the clock."
Twiston-Davies also admitted he believed the race would boil down to the older brigade once again and commented: "Everyone makes too much of racecourses.
"He could run the other way around and he wins there because he runs there most. I don't think his form at Haydock is very bad either.
"I suppose it inconveniences others more, because he does jump well. With the ups and downs, I don't know whether Long Run or Diamond Harry will be quite so comfortable as they were around Newbury or Kempton.
"But certainly I fear the old brigade of Denman and Kauto Star. They are the ones that proved it and worry me more, but having said that, he's beaten them. I can't see what should be ahead of him. That's why he's the favourite, there's no young whippersnapper that frightens me."
Imperial Commander has only been in action once this term, when he won the Betfair Chase at Haydock, and Twiston-Davies has been forced to work the Grade One winner at Warwick and Kempton in recent weeks.
"He's easy enough to get fit and has had two racecourse gallops," he continued. “If he's not fit then, he never will be."
