Hennessy Weekend

There is an almighty jumps meeting at Newbury tomorrow with the feature Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. There are loads of good horses in the race and it has it's usual competitive feel about it. I have narrowed it down to 3 horses; Dear Villez, Albertas Run and Slim Pickings. Dear Villez put up a very good display in the Munster National beating the useful Mister Top Notch by 3 lengths. His stamina is proven and he goes on the ground, also he is relatively inexperienced so he could turn out to be well handicapped. A step back up to 3m 2f should suit Albertas Run after finishing last of 4 over 2m 5f. He won the RSA at the festival and has bags of class, the only negative is that he is quite badly treated by the handicapper. Slim Pickings came 4th in the Grand National last year, and put up a good reappearance run at Navan. He likes big fields and could go well again at decent odds. 

Beside the Gold Cup there is a very good supporting card, in the first, if Peppertree Lane can transfer his good flat form to jumps he has got a great chance of winning. His trainer Peter Bowen is in cracking form and this horse can run well here on his debut. In the long distance hurdle at 2-05, there is the return of the masterful Inglis Drever. He has won this race for the last 2 years and can complete the hat trick here, with main dangers being the in form Blazing Bailey and Duc De Regenerie. Randwick Roar can win the 3-15 for my local trainer Gary Moore, he put up a good performance to win a chase at Doncaster last season and if fit could improve greatly on that form to score here. Squadron can win the finale, his fourth in the race at Cheltenham won by Numide shows stunning form and his class should shine through here. Light Yield could run well at bigger odds after coming second ahead of Kings Revenge at Cheltenham, that horse beat Squadron home last time out so LY could run well. 

The wbx.com Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle looks very competitive, but I fancy the Irish raider Fingeronthepulse to score here. The selection finished 2nd to Noland last time in a Grade 3 handicap and this slight drop in class should allow him to get back on the winning trail. The Fighting Fifth looks like a battle between Punjabi and Sublimity, Harchibald doesn't look anything like the horse he used to be so can be passed over here. If Sublimity is fully wound up he looks a good price at 9/2 , the former champion hurdler goes well fresh and on softer ground and can score here. He can turn the tables with Punjabi on this softer ground.