Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup

My three against the field are Balthazar King, (love this horse to bits, had an operation after his win Cheltenham on his heart and came back better than ever, so admittedly a sentimental choice), Cape Tribulation, (Jefferson has worked out the key to him over hurdles based on Cheltenham/Aintree double at least, and has mentioned the Hennessy as a possible target because he doesn't fancy taking on Big Bucks, & he's only rated 140 over fences), and Planet Of Sound who on the whole has recaptured his form, had a nice blow out last time at Wetherby and could have a good year. Looks as though there's still a big handicap in him.
 
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No surprise PN ran Tidal Bay in a hurdle race first time up as he's already back on his highest ever 166 mark from 154.....in one jump?..Handicapper never missed him.

The consistent RSA winner Bob's Worth is on 160...little wonder he's fav.

However I am sticking with Tidal Bay who really runs for Ruby and PN will be all out to win this race again. Forget about him being nuts he's all grown up now and is only half crazy

Pricewise? Well Weird Al (45 on bf) was 8/1 fav for the Hennessy before being withdrawn last year. Missed the Charlie Hall for some reason maybe could he be the one Tom will go for? Anyone know why he missed Wetherby?

142 Giles Cross???? Is he on the sick or what?
 
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PP

Bobs Worth 9/2
The Package 8/1
Grands Crus 9/1
First Lieutenant 10/1
Hold On Julio 10/1
Tidal Bay 12/1
Burton Port 14/1
Michel Le Bon 14/1
Problema Tic 14/1
Roberto Goldback 14/1
Teaforthree 14/1
Carruthers 16/1
Frisco Depot 16/1
Harry The Viking 16/1
Quantitativeeasing 16/1
The Giant Bolster 16/1
Time For Rupert 16/1
Alfie Spinner 20/1
Balthazar King 20/1
Cape Tribulation 20/1
Duke Of Lucca 20/1
Galaxy Rock 20/1
Giles Cross 20/1
Join Together 20/1
Lion Na Bearnai 20/1
Planet Of Sound 20/1
Saint Are 20/1
Shakalakaboomboom 20/1
Wayward Prince 20/1
Weird Al 20/1
Away We Go 25/1
Calgary Bay 25/1
Darna 25/1
Diamond Harry 25/1
Fair Along 25/1
Fruity Orooney 25/1
Ikorodu Road 25/1
Junior 25/1
Magnanimity 25/1
Muirhead 25/1
Soll 25/1
West End Rocker 25/1
Ace High 33/1
Baile Anrai 33/1
Ballabriggs 33/1
Bundle Of Fun 33/1
Tartak 33/1
Tatenen 33/1
Zarrafakt 33/1
Vino Griego 40/1
 
Tanlic said:
Pricewise? Well Weird Al (45 on bf) was 8/1 fav for the Hennessy before being withdrawn last year. Missed the Charlie Hall for some reason maybe could he be the one Tom will go for? Anyone know why he missed Wetherby?
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Pulled him out saying he'd be aimed at the Betfair Chase (too late to save my AP bet!) so unlikely runner unless that was abandoned I’d imagine
 
Nicky Henderson has a great chance of winning it this year...not certain which of his will oblige however,whilst I doubt if Grands Crus will run in this before his crack at the King George !
 
Ruby has a column in Irish Examiner each sat. HE does a weekly Rubys Rant. This week heis of the opinion that second season chasers have the edge in handicaps evidenced by For Non Stop,Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti. Thus Bobsworth is his Hennessey tip.
 
Marble said:
My three against the field are Balthazar King, (love this horse to bits, had an operation after his win Cheltenham on his heart and came back better than ever, so admittedly a sentimental choice)
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Just a note on Balthazar King - he didn't actually need an operation on his heart; the vet found that he'd suffered a rupture to his aortic arch, but the cure was to let it heal naturally. He can't deal with being taken on for the lead, and tends to sulk, so races like the Hennessy (which I thought would prove ideal ages ago) don't show him to advantage at all, and I'd imagine that they will let him continue on the X-Country route this year. If he lines up at Cheltenham this weekend, that would seem to prove that Philip Hobbs thinks the same.
 
I'm a massive fan of Bobs Worth but this isnt Cheltenham. Im told Hold on Julio was overweight on his reappearance. He's expected to improve.
 
It isn't, but there is no evidence to say he won't be just as good around Newbury. His 2 runs last season before Cheltenham can be safely written off, and he ran well when looked after a little on his debut (at Newbury).
 
rorydelargy said:
Just a note on Balthazar King - he didn't actually need an operation on his heart; the vet found that he'd suffered a rupture to his aortic arch, but the cure was to let it heal naturally. He can't deal with being taken on for the lead, and tends to sulk, so races like the Hennessy (which I thought would prove ideal ages ago) don't show him to advantage at all, and I'd imagine that they will let him continue on the X-Country route this year. If he lines up at Cheltenham this weekend, that would seem to prove that Philip Hobbs thinks the same.
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A stupendous contribution. Thanks Rory.

What a touch he landed in the X-Country btw.
 
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Have been looking again at this race as it looks like 2/3 of my early fancies won't be going, and I'm really quite interested in Burton Port.

Obviously won't be the stables first string in the race, but I think if you can back horses with the consistent level of form he has behind him, from top trainer/owner connections, at more than generous prices... then thats a good way to go in the long term. If he looks like an intended runner in the next week or so I will have a decent bet on him and hopefully he'll make it third time lucky at Newbury.
 
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Not convinced the Hennessy is a race to be backing a horse like Burton Port. He is fairly exposed now (imo) and he couldn't win this off a mark 9lbs lower a couple of years back -and that was before he had time off with injury.

He's a very admirable type; seeming honest and genuine, but he is also undoubtedly short of top-class, and seems punitively handicapped off 166. I think he can run a typically brave race, but I can also see him struggling from four-out, as more progressive and better-handicapped horses take command.
 
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Well in fairness Carruthers was probably a bit short of top class aswell, Grassy!

The Hennessy that Burton Port came second to Diamond Harry was a damn good race from memory. They both had no weight, mine sustained an injury and the latter has never returned the same horse, but I still see it as rock solid form. They had Denman 14 lengths back, (am not suggesting he was at his best by any means but still doesn't read badly), a future winner of this race a million miles back in Carruthers and even horses like Weird Al got beaten comprehensively. Burton Port was extremely lightly raced over fences going into that, and given his solid enough form since in graded chases, I'm not overly worried by the fact he's that bit higher in the handicap.

He might be short of top class, but the fact he is very near that bracket on his day (or could still be given the right conditions as only an 8yo) means he has a very serious chance on the book if some of the other horses fail to perform or live up to expectations. If they both ran, 7/2 or thereabouts on Bobs Worth or whatever he is or 20s + on Burton Port would seem like a no brainer to me. He won't be that on the day if he lines up I tell ya!

Coincidently they both have the same sire.:)
 
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I'll concede the point that Burton Port and Carruthers have similarities in their overall profiles. I guess the critical difference between the pair is that Carruthers ran from a mark of 146 when he won his Hennessy, whereas Burton Port will- in comparison - be chained to a plough off 166.
 
Grasshopper said:
I'll concede the point that Burton Port and Carruthers have similarities in their overall profiles.
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hehe, this is a first, Grasshopper concedes a point I wasn't actually making.:)

However, I concede your point that the handicap weight differential between the two is big.:)
 
I was a big fan of BP last year..still think he could have beaten LR if Geraghty had really gone for it..but was receiving weight from LR obviously

he does best when fresh..and his best when fresh is about a mid 160 horse if that LR form was a fair reflection..which looking at the horses around him does look fair

could be a serious player
 
Long Run barely reached mid-160's that day, EC1, let alone Burton Port. Subsequent outings for merely amplified that fact. BP faces a sterner test in the Hennessy than he did in the AON/Denman Chase (imo). Big field, end-to-end gallop, conceding weight to more progressive types - I just can't have it that he's got the tools in the box to emerge the winner.
 
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