FOR the first time in the story of Leopardstown's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, it features a clash between two past winners of the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, which makes it doubly appropriate that the Turf Club should yesterday have announced the election of Vincent O'Brien as an honorary member.

His Classic successes on the flat will always live on in the annals, but he himself has never forgotten that he made his first impact internationally as a jumping trainer, and he came up with the idea of an Irish Gold Cup and was the first sponsor of the race.

Tomorrow's running promises to be the most exciting steeplechase this side of Cheltenham, for aside from the Gold Cup heroes Imperial Call and Jodami, the race also brings into opposition Gordon Richard's improved handicapper The Grey Monk, Merry Gale, the best horse in the Jim Dreaper stable, and the country's favourite National Hunt horse, Danoli.

There is a saying about troubles "never two without three" and Fergie Sutherland will be hoping that Imperial Call has now put the series of mishaps behind him.

It started with an over reach that denied him a seasonal reappearance at Clonmel in November, followed by a last fence fall when clear at Punchestown in December and, more recently, a bruised shoulder when he fell on the Curragh gallops last month.

The trainer's enthusiasm for the horse's current well being after a foot perfect piece of "schooling" ignited the Tote Gold Cup betting market this week and he has been laid at all fractions between 4 to 1 and 5 to 2.

He was a revelation last season once he stepped up in distance, and he had six lengths to spare in this race over Master Oats and four lengths in hands of Rough Quest at Cheltenham.

However, he had no Jodami to beat last year at Leopardstown and that is a task that awaits him now. At 12, Jodami has reached an age when by all the rules he should be well past his best.

And yet it is hard to put away the memories stored up by his Hennessy hat trick between 1993 and 1995. Each time he showed February was the month when he blossomed and that there was no course and distance more to his liking than the Leopardstown three mile circuit.

To prove that despite his age he is still a formidable campaigner, once the new year turned in he reappeared in the Peter Marsh Chase a fortnight ago, and clearly in need of the run, still managed to get home by a neck from Unguided Missile. In November, he was beaten an easy five lengths by The Grey Monk but on 21lb better terms, I fancy him to turn the tables now.