The first scratchings of the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup were Wednesday as race day approaches on Nov. 27 at Newbury. 34 horses remain and only eight can run to their true handicap mark. As expected, the weights changed, which moved Kauto Star down in the odds.
Kauto Star’s stablemate, Denman, now carries top weight. Denman is a two-time winner at the Hennessy Gold Cup and leads the antepost odds to win the race. He came in second to Imperial Commander in last year’s Gold Cup and finished fourth in his last race prior to this one, the Guiness Gold Cup.
Diamond Harry is second in the antepost odds. He is a second season chaser worth considering, but pulled up in the RSA Chase. Weird Al, trained by Ian Williams, comes in third in the odds. Now age seven, he ran well as a novice last season. He was unbeaten and was predicted to win the RSA Chase but got injured in February. He showed promise in his deadheat with Little Josh at Carlisle this year, considering Little Josh won the Paddy Powder Gold Cup. If Weird Al is fully healthy, he has a chance at Newbury.
What A friend and Silver By Nature, which are running in the Betfair Chase, are likely to miss the Hennessy Gold Cup so there could be as few as six horses in the handicap on race day. That leaves good betting value for the Paul Nicholls-trained Neptune Collonges, who is currently in the middle of the pack of the antepost odds. David Pipe has a lot of confidence in his horse, Madison Du Berlais, a former Hennessy Gold Cup winner. Burton Port is in the thick of it as well after finishing as a runner-up in the RSA Chase last season. Pandorama, the Noel Meade-trained Irish wonder, is back after being out for nearly a year due to injury.
It’s too early to speculate so watch carefully as the field shortens as we get closer to race day.
Hennessy Gold Cup Winner Odds (provided by Party Bets)
Denman: 4/1
Diamond Harry: 11/2
Weird Al: 11/2
What A Friend: 13/2
Pandorama: 7/1
Kauto Star: 8/1
Burton Port: 9/1
Carruthers: 11/1
Taranis: 12/1
Neptune Collonges: 14/1
Big Fella Thanks: 14/1
China rock: 14/1
Hey Big Spender: 16/1
Madison Du Berlais: 16/1
Silver By Nature: 20/1
Great Endeavour: 20/1
Massinis Maquire: 20/1