RACING:IN PURELY Cheltenham terms, tomorrow's Hennessy Gold Cup is mostly about just one horse, the English raider Pride Of Dulcote, but Joncol can ultimately prove the tried-and-trusted solution to Leopardstown's €180,000 feature.
Next month’s festival casts a huge shadow over a card that contains four Grade One events and which always has a decisive influence in establishing the Irish pecking order for Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins will be hoping Zaidpour and Mikael D’Haguenet can re-establish their festival claims, but the champion trainer knows better than anyone how the Hennessy has its own singular demands.
The man who has won the weekend’s centrepiece a record six times runs Cooldine and Kempes in a 10-runner field, that also contains three cross-sea raiders, including the 2008 winner The Listener.
The veteran grey is back for another crack at a race that has a history of rewarding regular runners while featuring just Imperial Call on its roll-of-honour as a winner who went on to score in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Carvill’s Hill (1989-92), Nick The Brief (1990-91), Jodami (1993-94-95), Florida Pearl (1999-2000-01-04) and Beef Or Salmon (2003-06-07) all won more than once, and Joncol comes to this year’s renewal as the defending champion.
Paul Nolan has admitted he considers the giant gelding about 20lb short of the very best Gold Cup contenders and, not surprisingly, there are 40 to 1 Cheltenham odds about Joncol available.
In contrast, Pride Of Dulcote is as low as 14 to 1 for next month’s blue riband and represents British champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who won the Hennessy two years ago with Neptune Collonges.
Pride Of Dulcote will be having just his third start over fences and the form of his comeback success at Newbury has hardly been boosted by Punchestowns since. His young jockey, Nick Scholfield, is also a Leopardstown novice, so there is evidence to suggest that Pride Of Dulcote’s long-time position on top of the betting has a lot to do with his trainer’s reputation.
“The form hasn’t backed up unfortunately with Punchestowns, but there’s no reason why our lad shouldn’t improve,” Scholfield argued.
“He’s a very good horse, he’s improving and he’ll cope with the ground, no worries.”
No Hennessy reputation is better than Willie Mullins’, and while Cooldine’s form has fallen away in recent runs, Kempes could be a danger, although ground conditions may ultimately be slightly too soft for him.
In contrast, Joncol will relish testing going and showed a welcome return to form in the Lexus when third to Pandorama. Back-to-back wins for the 17hh-plus giant may not reverberate through Cheltenham betting but, as he proved last year, the Hennessy is no bad prize in itself.
The implications of the Deloitte Novice Hurdle, though, could be far-reaching as the cream of Ireland’s young talent over flights clash in the two-and-a-quarter- mile event.
Zaidpour and Dermot Weld’s Hidden Universe have prominent positions in betting for the Supreme, while Oscars Well and Shot From The Hip hold leading claims for the Neptune.
Throw in progressive types like The Bull Hayes and Cottrelsbooley and a race that saw Brave Inca win in 2004 before scoring at the festival may end up being hugely significant.
Zaidpour was a 1 to 4 flop here at Christmas behind First Lieutenant, just a fortnight after easily scoring in Fairyhouse’s Royal Bond. Mullins is convinced he ran the Aga Khan-bred back too quickly and is hopeful the real Zaidpour will appear this weekend.
The in-form trainer is also banking that is the reason for Mikael D’Haguenet’s Christmas disappointment and, after working well last weekend, the former ace-hurdler is going to be worth one more chance for many in the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase.
Indian Daduaie accompanied Pride Of Dulcote on a windy ferry trip that ended in Dublin early yesterday morning, and the Nicholls youngster lines up in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle against the best of Ireland’s four-year-old crop.
Sailor’s Warn emerged best over the course and distance in December, but Dermot Weld’s Unaccompanied can secure a place in the Triumph Hurdle tomorrow.
A rare jumps runner for the Moyglare Stud, the classically bred filly beat little on her National Hunt debut on New Year’s Eve but could hardly have done it easier.
Champagne Agent can continue the current Mullins hot-streak in the bumper.
