The entries have been released for the 2016 running of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup chase over 3m 2f, to be run at Newbury on Saturday 26th November. Link to entries here Betting here Top of the weights: Highest-rated horse entered is Coneygree, the brilliant 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. Connections currently have the Betfair Chase at Haydock as his preferred target but if Lancashire suffers a drought in November he could end up coming here. Next up is Silviniaco Conti, no idea whether he might run or not, he is entered at Down Royal for the JN Wine Chase on Nov 5th so we'll see what happens there. The one to keep the weights up is likely to be Smad Place, as Alan King has stated this is his early season target. Looking down the field, there are the obvious second-season chasers to consider, and my short list at this stage (based on likely participation) would be: Sausalito Sunrise, Blaklion, Native River and Onenightinvienna. At this early stage Native River, off a mark of 154, strikes me as one who could go really well. Current favourite (as of 26th October) is Willie Mullins' Avant Tout at around 10/1 followed by Native River and Blaklion.
Interesting thing in the racing post about AVANT TOUT currently 10/1 Fav for it won well at the punchestown in a decent handicap even tho made a shuddering mistake at the second last! Won't get away with mistakes like that in this and yet to race this far too but interestingly he's not got a prIce for the gold cup - surely if he's Fav for the Hennessy in previous years experience he would At least have a price for gold cup! But anyway be interesting to see what weight he gets for the race but will his stamina holds!
They were talking about going to the Galway Plate after he won at punchy but that didn't happen. So I would imagine he would be a good bit below Gold Cup standards
But surely if he wins the Hennessy the horse deserves a crack at the gold cup look at Synchronised (RIP) never thought in a millions years he could Win a gold cup
Ya. If he wins the Hennessey he would be in with a good chance but the horses he beat at Punchestown seem to be a bunch of hanicappers. Because he only ran in the Coral at Cheltenham last year he probably wouldnt be on many peoples radar for the Gold Cup. He is possibly favourite for the Hennessey because of who he's trained by.
Smad Place will run of a perch 12 lbs higher than last term but quite frankly he would still have hosed up on that occasion with such an impost on his back. Has to be a major player once more for the county. He doesn’t have the greatest record in Grade 1 events (-03F23328446) but in lesser affairs, over fences, over 3 miles+ is much more at home (-1152111) and recent tactics of ‘bullying’ the opposition, in such races, from the head of affairs has seen very, very good results. Smad Place’s ‘prep’ was most encouraging, last weekend, and at this stage he’d be my pick. Looking at the entries I do have to wonder how much strength in depth there really is in this season’s renewal but am fearful of the Pipe’s Un Temps Pour Tout. His performance at the Festival was very good and you do have to think connections still have ‘room to manoeuvre’ re him off 158.
Carlingford Lough and Road to Riches both recent winners of the Plate and both have run extremely well in grade ones at Cheltenham.
Are you saying Avant Tout is up to Gold Cup stantards? Sure he has potential but seeming as they aimed him at the Coral last year and were considering the Galway Plate would suggest to me that they would consider him to be well down their peaking order of staying chasers.
Not sure what Nicholls intends this season but Saphir Du Rheu is feasibly treated with a capital F off 152, having carried top weight last season. Weights will change if Coneygree does not run yes?
I've no idea if he's Gold Cup standard. All depends on what you think that means. All i was responding to was you saying the Plate was way below CGC standard. There's not much between the best handicappers and the best graded horses at these longer distances.
Weights published today http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/c...=2016-11-26&big_race=Y&raceTabs=#raceTabs=lc_
Well I'm buggered (Oh no can't say that). I'm blowed (oops, nor that) My goodness, this race is on my birthday. Blacklion ew for me
Starting to look at likely runners and prices, quite like the look of Empire Of Dirt at 20/1 with Skybet (16/1 everywhere else). Won as a fresh horse at the Cheltenham festival and hasn't been seen since, I presume he has been lined up for this by Gordon Elliot.
I'm sticking with Blacklion. I reckon if Cue Card was in here with 11.10 at 12/1 everyone would be all over him. Cue Card faded in the last 100 yards at Wetherby. Blacklion, 5l behind hit the second last (when outpaced) and weakened before the last. Not a bad first run. However he seems held by Native River so I would have to cover with him.
I really like the look of Drumacoo e/w. Ben Pauling says he wasn't right in the Reynoldstown and that form wasn't bad at all. Before that he looked exciting. Goes off a feather weight here and the only other one who jumped out as well handicapped was Saphir Du Rheu who had a lovely prep run for this and goes off an awful lot less weight than last year.
Smad Place for me won last year with a lot to spare and altho carries the extra weight can't see him out the first 3
Cant be having any of last seasons novices !! Not a great bunch altho I have backed MOT for the gold cup in march that only small stakes. But they haven't had a great record so far !
