GOING FOR GOLD AT LEOPARDSTOWN
It may be the case that only five runners will line up for the 17th running of Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday, but the field lacks nothing in terms of quality. Before tomorrow’s declarations at 10am the likely line up is Beef Or Salmon, Forget The Past, Hi Cloy, Patsy Hall and The Listener.
The Listener is back for more. One of the top staying novice chasers in the UK during the early part of last season, the Roselier gelding made the journey from Robert Alner’s yard in deepest Dorset to plunder the Lexus Chase over Saturday’s course and distance in December, and the bookmakers have made him favourite to repeat that feat. Beef Or Salmon finished second in the Lexus, eight lengths behind The Listener.
Winner of the Hennessy last year and also in 2003, and of nine Grade 1 races in total, the 11-year-old is reported to be in fine fettle by his trainer Michael Hourigan, who will decide on Friday if he will allow Hi Cloy join his stable companion in the line-up.
In Compliance was a defector from the race on Wednesday, but his owner and trainer, Sean Mulryan and Michael O’Brien, have a more than able deputy in Forget The Past. Third in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, Forget The Past has been on the mark twice already this season, in a hurdle race at Fairyhouse on his seasonal debut, and latterly when he ran out an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles last month. The son of Past Glories won a Grade 1 novice chase over Saturday’s course and distance just over two years ago, and he will be at home on the testing ground.
Patsy Hall completes the field. Michael Cunningham’s novice made the talented mare Cailin Alainn pull out all the stops in the Grade 1 Powers Whiskey Chase last time, and he could run a lot better than an average 20-1 shot.
The Hennessy is the highlight of an eight-race card which gets under way at 1.20 and also features the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle, in which Aran Concerto will bid to consolidate his position as one of the leading novice hurdlers in training, and the Grade 1 Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase, in which the majority of the top novice chasers in the country hold entries, including Gazza’s Girl, Chelsea Harbour, Alexander Taipan, Knight Legend and Justpourit.
The adjusted racetimes at Leopardstown on Saturday ensure that any potential clashes with racing in Newbury are avoided. The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup takes place at 4.00pm, the Deloitte Novice Hurdle is off at 2.20pm followed by the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase at 2.50pm.
Leopardstown held a precautionary inspection at 8am this morining Friday, 9th February. Racing will go ahead - the ground is currently Heavy.