HENNESSY GOLD CUP
Saturday 2nd December, 2:50pm
Complete Unknown @ 13/2
Mahler Mission @ 7/1
Monbeg Genius @ 7/1
Midnight River @ 9/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
RACE
During six decades as the Hennessy Gold Cup, Newbury’s annual national hunt feature reached near iconic status as the home of superstar chasers, and although the loss of the gilt-edged sponsor perhaps took away some of the race’s previous glitter it remains a ferociously competitive three-and-a-quarter mile handicap (2-50). Sam Thomas has two chances to complete the rare double of both riding and training the winner, having been successful on board Denman in 2007.
MARKET
Thomas’ runner Stolen Silver took a notable step forward at Chepstow, while the horse’s stablemate Our Power was a non-runner when fancied in this twelve months ago and will be spot on after a hurdles run. Complete Unknown is a seven-year-old very much on the up, though he has never won over this far. Stamina won’t be an issue for Mahler Mission, which would quite likely have been successful in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, over further, but for falling late on, and he made a solid return at Carlisle, however the stable is decidedly quiet. Monbeg Genius was let down by his jumping at Ascot in November, but this horse disappointed first time out last season before much better followed. There’s a suspicion that Stumptown has got people excited mostly for his inform trainer Gavin Cromwell.
Class act Ahoy Senor put in one his most memorable performances at this meeting two years ago; that said, he dropped out fast after a mistake in the Charlie Hall, in which Midnight River, from last year’s winning stable, was a distant last of three finishers. This challenge is more realistic for Midnight River which defied a big weight to win at Aintree in great style last spring, with Shakem Up’Arry and Eldorado Allen well-held. Things are sure to come together soon for the lightly-raced Dusart, while Twig gives the impression he hasn’t finished climbing the ladder. Cloudy Glen, the 2021 winner, and Remastered, last year’s runner-up, clearly relish the challenge. What a genuinely smashing encounter.
CORNELIUS’ SELECTIONS
Nicky Henderson holds a strong hand at Newbury but will be most anxious about his Newcastle runners: the champion hurdler Constitution Hill, looking for back-to-back Fighting Fifths (1-55) and also, more nerve-rackingly, Ascot non-starter Shishkin (3-05), with the cheekpieces removed. For those who believe that Ascot incident was a one-off, the odds may look generous. Back at Newbury, Off To A Flyer (1-40) endured a notably luckless run at Cheltenham’s November meeting and supporters will be hoping to retrieve losses; at 2-15, Brentford Hope has a big rise in the weights to overcome after a course and distance strike in November, but that was genuinely facile; at Doncaster, flat trainers Owen Burrows and Hugo Palmer make rare appearances on a jumps card (3-16) – many fancy Caustic to provide Burrows, who rode thirty-something winners as a NH jockey in the 1990s, with a first success as a NH trainer.
THE WINNER
Please allow me two for a superb staging of the old Hennessy: Stolen Silver and Monbeg Genius.
CORNELIUS’ QUARTET
Elsewhere at Newbury, Off To A Flyer (1-40) endured a notably luckless run at Cheltenham’s November meeting and supporters will be hoping to retrieve losses; at 2-15, Brentford Hope has a big rise in the weights to overcome after a course and distance strike in November, but that was genuinely facile; at 3-25, Master Chewy has rock solid form but everyone has worked that out and, at a bit of a price, Scottish-trained Bollingerandkrug looks interesting as a chaser rising up the ranks smoothly, even though he’s only ever won at Kelso; at Doncaster, flat trainers Owen Burrows and Hugo Palmer make rare appearances on a jumps card (3-16) – many fancy Caustic to provide Burrows, who rode thirty-something winners as a NH jockey in the 1990s, with a first success as a NH trainer.
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