LOOK out for an upset in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury today. The Grey Monk has dominated betting on this £70,000 added contest ever since a winning reappearance a fortnight ago but he is far from the certainty his price might suggest.
Impressive though he may have been in beating Jodami and Morceli at Ayr, the former is not so good a horse as he once was and the latter seemed not to stay the trip.
Nor has The Grey Monk ever contested a race even half as competitive as the Hennessy, one of the toughest events of the jumps season, and is too short a price to risk his not handling the hurly burly of the big occasion.
Similar remarks apply to former hunter chaser Coome Hill while Murphy's Gold Cup winner Challenger du Luc may not stay the trip and neither Couldn't Be Better nor Lo Stregone appear favourably handicapped.
General Crack looks the best bet. The seven year old has improved out of all recognition of late and put up a smart performance to be a recent Cheltenham winner Evangelica by no less than 21 lengths at Chepstow last month.
He's an each way price for this race after he was made to work to complete a six timer in a less than vintage renewal of the Charisma Gold Cup at Kempton last time.
But the tight, right handed Sunbury track was all against a horse at his best on a galloping, left handed circuit and a much better effort can be expected on the wide open spaces of Newbury.
General Crack has been aimed at this race for months by Paul Nicholls, who knows what it takes as he landed the Hennessy as a jockey on both Broadheath in 1986 and Playschool the following year.
Best outsider could well be the reappearing Midnight Caller who runs well fresh and appears favourably handicapped.
Jack Button looked as though he'd come on a good deal for, the run when second in a handicap here last month and should prove the point by going one place better in the Equi Life Work Formula Long Distance Hurdle.
Urubande may well leap to prominence in Champion Hurdle betting with victory in the Bonusprint Gerry Feilden Hurdle.
And the bookmakers could also be shortening the Cheltenham odds of Dato Star who can make light of a low weight in the Newcastle Building Society Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
Colour Counsellor has a fine chance of collecting the Emma Brazendale Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Warwick with just 10st to carry.
. White Sea underlined the fine form of the Martin Pipe team when making a winning debut in the Freshman's Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury yesterday. The win was impressive enough to earn a 20 to 1 quote for the Triumph Hurdle.
The filly, trained on the Flat by Paul Cole, looked a decent recruit to jump racing as she beat a potentially useful field under Irish champion jockey, Charlie Swan.
Swan, deputising for the suspended Tony McCoy, guided his mount to a five lengths victory over previous winner Shooting Light with the ex Roger Charlton trained Summer Spell 15 lengths back in third.
"Tony McCoy came down to school her over three flights yesterday and asked me who he was putting her right for!" said Pipe. "This looked a very hot heat and we don't know what she beat. But she will probably go to Chepstow for the Finale Hurdle and then be considered for the Triumph. She spread eagled the field really."
Pipe is hoping this latest success proves a good omen for Challenger du Luc, who bids to land the stable's third Hennessy victory here this afternoon following the wins of Strands Of Gold and Chatam.
"Norman Williamson now rides him. It is Challenger du Luc's first time over the trip but I've always thought he wanted three miles, it is the extra two and a half furlongs that is the worrying bit.
"But he is a nice relaxed horse who can quicken up and the ground looks ideal. Chatam was a certainty when he won and Peter Scudamore told me Strands Of Gold would win if he was fit. This horse would have a good chance too.
