Hennessy Gold Cup A-Z

Check out our A-Z guide to Saturday’s Hennessy Gold Cup, featuring Native River, Blaklion and last year’s winner Smad Place.

The Hennessy Gold Cup is without question one of the most competitive and informative staying chases of the entire jumps season and has been won by some of the greatest names in the game.

Mandarin, Arkle and Denman are the only three horses to have won the race more than once, while Mill House, Burrough Hill Lad, Bregawn and One Man also feature on an illustrious roll of honour.

In recent season Bobs Worth took top spot at Newbury before going on to taste Cheltenham Gold Cup glory later in the season, while 2014 hero Many Clouds remains the only horse to have won both the Hennessy and Grand National.

This year’s contest is seemingly as packed with proven quality and unrealised potential as ever and last year’s brilliant winner Smad Place returns under the burden of top weight.

He has to contend with a whole host of promising second-season chasers including RSA Chase star Blaklion as well as fellow Cheltenham Festival winner Un Temps Pour Tout and exhilarating Aintree scorer Native River.

It is Colin Tizzard’s Native River that tops the betting at 11/2 with Sky Bet, while others towards the head of the market are Vyta Du Roc, Henri Parry Morgan and 2015 fifth Saphir Du Rheu.

Here we provide a full rundown of the final field of 20…

Smad Place

Last year’s brilliant winner returns to try and retain his title off an 11lb higher mark and he will do so on the back of a perfectly acceptable reappearance run over an inadequate trip at Aintree. Should come on for that run, but this will be tough off a mark of 166 and he could face fierce competition for the lead.

Un Temps Pour Tout

A Grade One winner over hurdles, Un Temps Pour Tout always looked like he’d make a better chaser but took time to find his feet over fences before it all clicked in his first handicap chase over three miles at the Cheltenham Festival. How’s about that? Is 10lb higher now, but has the scope to improve again and made a fine reappearance when winning over hurdles at Aintree. Has it all to do against Native River on these terms on a couple of pieces of form, however.

Holywell

At his very best Holywell would be interesting off 156. He beat Don Cossack 10 lengths in a Grade One in his prime and was rated 163 at one point over fences. However, he really struggled last season, only coming to life at the Cheltenham Festival (again) where he was second to Un Temps Pour Tout. Gets a 7lb pull with that rival for seven lengths, but hurdles reappearance was awful and plenty of guesswork involved with him on ground that may be too soft anyway.

Native River

One of last year’s top novices who gave Un Temps Pour Tout 7lb and a good beating at this meeting last season. Showed a lack of pace when beaten at Kempton and Wetherby in the middle part of the campaign but improved again in the spring, finishing second to Minella Rocco in the four-miler at the Cheltenham Festival before winning the Grade One Mildmay at Aintree in front of Henri Parry Morgan, Blaklion and Un Temps Pour Tout again. Highly promising reappearance over hurdles at Wetherby and the one they all have to beat.

Blaklion

Another top novice from last season, the highlight of which was his RSA Chase win at the Cheltenham Festival. Was far too good for Native River off level weights in the heavy ground at Wetherby, but Colin Tizzard’s horse reversed that form emphatically at Aintree in the Mildmay. Ran a sound enough race in the Charlie Hall on his return, shaping as if he’ll come on for the run.

Houblon Des Obeaux

Sixth, second and ninth in this race the last three years, and ended a long losing run when beating The Giant Bolster by 28 lengths at this track in February. Usually goes well fresh and this is the lowest mark he’s run off in a Hennessy, but it would be a surprise if …

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