Synchronised Remains On Course To Re-Write History After Latest Grand National Forfeit Stage

March 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised heads both the market and the weights at the latest forfeit stage for the 2012 Grand National. A total of 59 runners have stood their ground, with last year’s winner Ballabriggs next in the weights on 11-09. Midnight Chase, who finished 31 lengths behind Synchronised in the Gold Cup is on 11-08 the same as Weird Al who pulled up in Cheltenham feature with a broken blood vessel whilst a pound further back is Gold Cup fourth BurtonPort who’ll have just three pounds to reverse the eight lengths he finished behind Synchronised in the Gold Cup.

The simple fact that there are so many Gold Cup runners in this year’s Grand National tells us that we are likely to witness one of the highest quality renewals for many years. Add to the mix last year’s winner, Ballabriggs, Prince De Beauchene, winner of the Bobbyjo Chase inIrelandlast time out, together with Irish Hennessy Gold Cup winner, Quel Esprit and Sky Bet Chase winnerCalgaryBay.

Should Synchronised pull off the almost impossible Gold Cup and Grand National double in the same season then he would be the first horse to do so since Golden Miller in 1934 and the first horse since L’Escargot in 1975 to win both races. Another first is that he would also be the first horse since Freebooter in 1950 to carry top weight to victory. It all adds up to a very difficult task indeed for the Jonjo O’Neil trained and JP McManus owned runner but he could be the once in a lifetime horse that defies the history books.

It is fair to say that he will not go down as one of the all time great Gold Cup winners but it should be remembered that he won the Grade 1 Lexus Chase inIrelandin his preparation race forCheltenhamback in December. He also won the rearranged Welsh National over 3m7f in January 2011 and the Midland National over 4m1f a year before that, wins that confirm his staying ability to handle the marathon Grand National trip and it’s just whether he can overcome the burden of top weight.

Meanwhile Bookmakers generally have confirmed that support continues to come for the Willie Mullins trained Prince De Beauchene. The nine year old was last seen winning the Grade 2 Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last month will be racing off only 10-06 making him a very decent proposition and with Ruby Walsh likely to take the ride, his price is only going to go in one direction.

Support it appears has waned for Donald McCain’s Weird Al following his broken blood vessel sustained in the Gold Cup where he had to be pulled up. He was still confirmed for the race however as is stablemate and 2011 winner, Ballabriggs, who is currently third favourite with odds of around 12/1. Ballabriggs of course will be trying to emulate the feat of the legendary three time winner, Red Rum, trained by McCain’s father, Donald and who was the last horse to win the Grand National back-to-back.

Others reported to be being well supported with just three weeks to go before the race include Junior from the David Pipe stable, Burton Port who is now into 12/1 in places, Alan King’s West End Rocker a 16/1 shot the same price as Cappa Bleu, Cheltenham Festival winner, Sunnyhillboy and the highly regarded Seabass from the Ted Walsh stable in Ireland. All will come to Aintree on April 14th with high expectations.

Filed under Aintree, David Pipe, Gold Cup, Grand National, Hennessy Gold Cup, Jonjo O'Neil, Ruby Walsh, Willie Mullins Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Denman’s Bid To Surpass Hennessy Gold Cup Records In 2011

September 21, 2011 Leave a comment

Without question, the Grade Three Hennessy Gold Cup is one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the National Hunt season. First run in 1957, the race is run over 3 miles and 2½ furlongs and over 21 fences at Newbury racecourse, at the end of November each year.

It is a handicap race but one that often encourages trainers to run their Grade One winners in due to the importance of the race in establishing great champions. There have been several top rated horses who have tried their luck carrying top weight around a very difficult, testing track but not all are good enough. Those that have been down the years include the likes of Arkle, who won the race twice in 1964 and 1965 and who of course went on to claim three Cheltenham Gold Cups and an Irish Grand National during that same time frame. Mill House, won in 1963 before going on to claim his one and only Cheltenham Gold Cup. Burrough Hill Lad, trained by Jenny Pitman also won the ‘Hennessy’ as well as the ‘Gold Cup’ while One Man won the Hennessy and the Queen Mother Champion Chase as well as the King George Chase.

The most recent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to have won the Hennessy Gold Cup is Denman, who, like Arkle, won the race twice with the Paul Nichols star winning in 2007 and 2009 and who won the Gold Cup in the intervening year of 2008. Denman also finished third last year and will be taking his chance again for the last time in November and if he was to win the race for a third time, he’d break all previous records.

Denman and Arkle in fact are two of only three horses to have more than one win in the race, the other is Mandarin who incredibly won the inaugural race in  1957 and then four years later in 1961. Mandarin’s jockey in the 1961 victory, Willie Robinson in fact is the only jockey to have won the race three times, he also rode Mill House to success as well as Man Of The West in 1968.

Fulke Walwyn, trainer of all three of Robinson success’s also trained four other winners of the race and thus holds the trainers record of seven wins a record that might never be beaten.

The race was originally staged at Cheltenham, before moving to Newbury Racecourse in 1960. The sponsors Hennessy have maintained their association and sponsorship of the race from the very first year, which has now formed a partnership that represents the longest ever commercial sponsorship of a horse race. The first winner, Mandarin was in fact owned by Peggy Hennessy a member of the family. The family also sponsor the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup which takes place at Leopardstown each February.

Apart from Denman, the likely market leaders for this year’s race include the Paul Webber trained, Time For Rupert, whose most notable performance came when he finished second to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle in 2010. He has adjusted to chasing very well but ran when slightly injured last time when he went off as the 7/4 favourite to win the Grade 1 RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. There is also the likelihood that the Colm Murphy good thing, Quito de la Roque, winner of his last four starts over fences, three at Grade 2 level plus the prestigious Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival back in May. Diamond Harry, winner 12 months ago will also take his place in the field.

Filed under Hennessy Gold Cup, National Hunt Races, Newbury, Paul Nicholls, Racecourse, Trainer Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

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