Nov 2014
Weights revealed for the Hennessy Gold Cup
Harry Topper and First Lieutenant head the weights at 11st 12lb for the 58th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, 29 November, the highlight of the bet365 Hennessy Festival.
Harry Topper, the 2013 bet365 Charlie Hall winner, missed an intended reappearance in the same race earlier this month because of the ground. Kim Bailey’s charge (20/1 with bet365) has won two Grade 2 races at Newbury including the Betfair Denman Chase by 25 lengths last season.
First Lieutenant (25/1) was third to Bobs Worth in the 2012 Hennessy Gold Cup and has competed exclusively in Grade 1 company on his last six starts.
Willie Mullins’ Djakadam, bet365’s 8/1 favourite, has been allocated 10st 7lb for the 3m 2½f showpiece as he bids to end Ireland’s winless run in the race that stretches back to 1980.
The Irish champion trainer also has Champagne Fever (11st 9lb and 20/1), Ballycasey (11st 6lb and 16/1) and The Paparrazi Kid (10st 6lb and 20/1) engaged.
Ireland is further represented with Gordon Elliott’s Don Cossack (11st 11lb and 16/1) and Dessie Hughes’ Lyreen Legend (11st 8lb and 25/1).
Alan King’s highly-touted chaser Smad Place (10/1), last seen finishing a close-up second in the RSA Chase, has been given 11st 6lb. Oliver Sherwood’s Many Clouds (10/1), brought down in the same race, made an impressive seasonal debut at Carlisle at the start of the month and has been given 11st 2lb.
King’s total of five entries includes Medermit (11st 6lb and 25/1), Walkon (11st 2lb and 33/1), Midnight Prayer (10st 6lb and 20/1) and Pantxoa (10st 7lb and 66/1).
Philip Hobbs won the Hennessy Gold Cup with What’s Up Boys in 2001 and his smart charge Fingal Bay (10/1) is set to carry 11st 4lb.
Nicky Henderson has won the last two renewals of the contest and Triolo d’Alene (20/1) could defend his title off 11st 8lb. Henderson also has Hadrian’s Approach (11st 4lb and 16/1) as he searches for a fourth Hennessy.
Fellow three-time Hennessy Gold Cup winning trainer Paul Nicholls’ septet is headed by last year’s runner-up Rocky Creek (11st 7lb and 12/1). Black Thunder (11st 6lb and 20/1), Bury Parade (11st 4lb and 33/1), Unioniste (11st 2lb and 25/1), Sam Winner (10st 12lb and 20/1), Easter Day (10st 9lb and 20/1) and Just A Par (10st 6lb and 33/1) make up the Ditcheat challenge.
Other notable names are leading Paddy Power Gold Cup fancies Buywise (10st 11lb and 18/1) and Present View (10st 9lb and 20/1), as well as Roalco de Farges (10st 7lb and 25/1) and Mendip Express (10st 9lb and 16/1).
Hennessy Gold Cup, bet365 prices:
| Horse | Odds |
| Djakadam | 8/1 |
| Fingal Bay, Smad Place, Many Clouds | 10/1 |
| Rocky Creek | 12/1 |
| Hadrian’s Approach, Don Cossack, Ballycasey, Mendip Express | 16/1 |
| Buywise | 18/1 |
| Triolo d’Alene, Ballynagour, Sam Winner, Black Thunder,The Paparrazi Kid, Present View, Harry Topper, Midnight Prayer,Champagne Fever, Easter Day | 20/1 |
| BAR | 25/1 |
| THE HENNESSY GOLD CUP STEEPLE CHASE (HANDICAP) (CLASS 1) (Grade 3) Total prize fund £175,000 | ||||
| Horse | Weight | Age | Owner | Trainer |
| Harry Topper | 11st 12lb | 7 | Mr A.N Solomons | Kim Bailey |
| First Lieutenant (IRE) | 11st 12lb | 9 | Gigginstown House Stud | M. F. Morris |
| Don Cossack (GER) | 11st 11lb | 7 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott |
| Champagne Fever (IRE) | 11st 9lb | 7 | Mrs S. Ricci | W. P. Mullins |
| Houblon des Obeaux (FR) | 11st 8lb | 7 | Mrs Julian Blackwell | Venetia Williams |
| Triolo d’Alene (FR) | 11st 8lb | 7 | Mr & Mrs Sandy Orr | Nicky Henderson |
| Lyreen Legend (IRE) | 11st 8lb | 7 | Lyreen Syndicate | D. T. Hughes |
| Rocky Creek (IRE) | 11st 7lb | 8 | The Johnson & Stewart Families | Paul Nicholls |
| Ballynagour (IRE) | 11st 6lb | 8 | Mr Allan Stennett | David Pipe |
| Black Thunder (FR) | 11st 6lb | 7 | Donlon, MacDonald, Fulton & Webb | Paul Nicholls |
| Smad Place (FR) | 11st 6lb | 7 | Mrs Peter Andrews | Alan King |
| Ballycasey (IRE) | 11st 6lb | 7 | Mrs S. Ricci | W. P. Mullins |
| Medermit (FR) | 11st 6lb | 10 | The Dunkley & Reilly Partnership | Alan King |
| Bury Parade (IRE) | 11st 4lb | 8 | HighclereThoroughbredRacing- Bury Parade | Paul Nicholls |
| Fingal Bay (IRE) | 11st 4lb | 8 | Mrs R. J. Skan | Philip Hobbs |
| Hadrian’s Approach (IRE) | 11st 4lb | 7 | Mr & Mrs R. Kelvin-Hughes | Nicky Henderson |
| Vino Griego (FR) | 11st 3lb | 9 | Mr C. E. Stedman | Gary Moore |
| Many Clouds (IRE) | 11st 2lb | 7 | Mr Trevor Hemmings | Oliver Sherwood |
| Walkon (FR) | 11st 2lb | 9 | McNeill Family | Alan King |
| Unioniste (FR) | 11st 2lb | 6 | Mr J. Hales | Paul Nicholls |
| Katenko (FR) | 11st 2lb | 8 | Mr A. Brooks | Venetia Williams |
| Theatre Guide (IRE) | 11st 1lb | 7 | Mrs Jean R. Bishop | Colin Tizzard |
| Easter Meteor (GB) | 10st 13lb | 8 | Mr & Mrs S. C. Willes | David Pipe |
| Restless Harry (GB) | 10st 12lb | 10 | Mr R. G. Whitehead | Robin Dickin |
| Sam Winner (FR) | 10st 12lb | 7 | Mrs Angela Yeoman | Paul Nicholls |
| Monbeg Dude (IRE) | 10st 11lb | 9 | Oydunow | Michael Scudamore |
| Annacotty (IRE) | 10st 11lb | 6 | Mrs Peter Prowting | Martin Keighley |
| Buywise (IRE) | 10st 11lb | 7 | Mr T. Hywel Jones | Evan Williams |
| Wiesentraum (GER) | 10st 10lb | 8 | G. Pascoe & S. Brewer | Lucy Wadham |
| Easter Day (FR) | 10st 13lb | 6 | B. Fulton, Broughton Thermal Insulation | Paul Nicholls |
| Mendip Express (IRE) | 10st 9lb | 8 | The Mendip Syndicate | Harry Fry |
| Present View (GB) | 10st 9lb | 6 | Sir Chips Keswick | Jamie Snowden |
| Lamb Or Cod (IRE) | 10st 9lb | 7 | Mr Terry Warner | Philip Hobbs |
| What A Warrior (IRE) | 10st 7lb | 7 | Mr & Mrs Gordon Pink | Dan Skelton |
| Pantxoa (FR) | 10st 7lb | 7 | Mrs June Watts | Alan King |
| Djakadam (FR) | 10st 7lb | 5 | Mrs S. Ricci | W. P. Mullins |
| Roalco de Farges (FR) | 10st 7lb | 9 | The Brushmakers | Philip Hobbs |
| The Druids Nephew (IRE) | 10st 6lb | 7 | The Stonehenge Druids | Neil Mulholland |
| Wychwoods Brook (GB) | 10st 6lb | 8 | Kevin & Anne Glastonbury | Evan Williams |
| The Paparrazi Kid (IRE) | 10st 6lb | 7 | Byerley Thoroughbred Racing | W. P. Mullins |
| Midnight Prayer (GB) | 10st 6lb | 9 | The Legends Partnership | Alan King |
| Just A Par (IRE) | 10st 6lb | 7 | Paul K. Barber & C. G. Roach | Paul Nicholls |
| Via Sundown (FR) | 10st 5lb | 6 | The Old Brokers | Gary Moore |
| Mountainous (IRE) | 10st 5lb | 9 | Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter | Richard Lee |
| Court In Motion (IRE) | 10st 5lb | 9 | Mr N. Mustoe | Emma Lavelle |
| Knock A Hand (IRE) | 10st 4lb | 9 | Mr Alan Halsall | Richard Lee |
| Mullaghanoe River (IRE) | 10st 4lb | 6 | Mrs Patricia Hunt | Noel Meade |
| Victors Serenade (IRE) | 10st 4lb | 9 | Michael & Angela Bone | Anthony Honeyball |
| Le Reve (IRE) | 10st 4lb | 6 | Mr P. H. Betts | Lucy Wadham |
| Merry King (IRE) | 10st 3lb | 7 | Mr F. Gillespie | Jonjo O’Neill |
| Edmund Kean (IRE) | 10st 2lb | 7 | Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter | Peter Bowen |
| Gallant Oscar (IRE) | 10st 1lb | 8 | Mr G. Kelly | A. J. Martin |
| Gevrey Chambertin (FR) | 10st 0lb | 6 | Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds III | David Pipe |
| Handy Andy (IRE) | 9st 8lb | 8 | Brocade Racing | Colin Tizzard |
| Tour des Champs (FR) | 9st 6lb | 7 | Mr H. R. Mould | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| Saroque (IRE) | 9st 4lb | 7 | Mr A. Brookes | Venetia Williams |