A quality eight-strong field is set to line up for the Grade 1 Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown this Sunday on a day of top class racing, featuring four Grade 1 contests.

One of the top staying novice chasers around last season, the Willie Mullins-trained, Cooldine won the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase at this meeting last year, beating subsequent Arkle Chase winner Forpadydeplasterer, before going on to land the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival emphatically. Since then, Violet O’Leary’s Cooldine, who runs in the colours of the famous Florida Pearl, four times winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup, was beaten at the Punchestown Festival last April and also disappointed on his debut this season in the Lexus Chase last month over Sunday’s course and distance. He coughed after that race, however, he is reported to be fully recovered now and bang on track for Sunday.

"He was just a bit under the weather after the last day," said Willie Mullins today. "We treated him at home and he is much better now, he has worked and schooled well. I’m very happy with him."

The Nicky Richards-trained Money Trix will bid to go one better in the Hennessy than he did in the Lexus. The grey son of Old Vic relishes soft ground and won on his first two starts over fences this season before going down by a half a length to What A Friend in the Lexus.

Lexus third Joncol is also set to renew rivalry. The Paul Nolan-trained gelding, another top novice from last year, ran a cracker in that race, disputing the running with Notre Pere down the back straight and going clear after the second last before just getting overhauled by What A Friend and Money Trix on the run-in. He has been trained for this race since then.

Lexus Chase fourth, fifth and seventh, Notre Pere, Schindlers Hunt and J’y Vole, are also set to take their respective chances, with In Compliance (pulled up in the Lexus) and Made In Taipan, who has never raced over three miles before in his career, completing the field.

The Philip Fenton-trained Dunguib heads the list of acceptors for the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle earlier on the card. The son of Presenting, an impressive winner of the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last March, is unbeaten in three runs to date over hurdles, and is already a short-price favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Willie Mullins has entered two exciting prospects in Fionnegas and Morning Supreme, while Oliver McKiernan has entered both Aon Sceal and Whodoyouthink, an impressive pillar-to-post winner of his maiden at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.

The Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle sees the return of the Gordon Elliott-trained Carlito Brigante, so impressive in landing the Grade 2 juvenile contest at the Christmas Festival, while the Grade 1 Dr PJ Moriarty Chase has attracted some of the top novice chasers in Ireland, including Weapon’s Amnesty, Roberto Goldback, Oscar Looby and Zaarito, on what promises to be a fantastic day’s racing.

Tom Burke General Manager at Leopardstown said: - "We are very pleased with the entries for Sunday’s meeting which features 4 Grade 1 races including the 20th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup. The ground conditions are currently soft with a favourable forecast for the remainder of the week. "

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