Hennessy Gold Cup
horse racing tipster
Grade 3 Handicap, Newbury
£175,000 added,
4yo plus,
3m 2f 110y, Class 1
Saturday 30th November 2013

Horses 468x60 Jpg

1 Triolo D'Alene 20/1
2 Rocky Creek 8/1
3 Theatre Guide 33/1
4 Highland Lodge 6 /1
5 Merry King 12/1
21 ran Distances: 2¾l, 1¾l, 9l

Triolo D'Alene gave champion trainer Nicky Henderson a third win in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury with a hard-fought triumph over Rocky Creek.

Triolo D'Alene
© Racehorse Photos
Triolo D'Alene

The six-year-old, winner of last season's Topham Chase at Aintree, gave jockey Barry Geraghty back-to-back victories in the race after the success of the Henderson-trained Bobs Worth 12 months ago.

Rocky Creek
© Racehorse Photos

Rocky Creek

Rocky Creek fought hard in the closing stages, but it was Triolo D'Alene (20-1) who prevailed by two and three-quarter lengths. Theatre Guide was another length and three-quarters away in third, with Highland Lodge fourth.

Imperial Commander and Highland Lodge set the pace in a highly competitive renewal of this prestigious staying handicap chase, which saw the winner's stablemate, Hadrian's Approach, and Opening Batsman exit at the fifth fence. Katenko, who joined the leading pair, fell at the 14th and when Imperial Commander weakened rapidly it was Highland Lodge who went on.

Cloudy Too briefly seized the initiative and was soon challenged by Rocky Creek, who looked as though he might give the Stewart and Johnson families an emotional success. He jumped the last in unison with Triolo D'Alene, who proved the stronger on the run-in.

Henderson said: "He's a lovely horse with a lovely attitude, but Barry has been begging me all year to save him for the Grand National. We've mucked that up completely, but the Hennessy is very special."

Geraghty said: "He was great. I had a brilliant ride off him in the Topham and he was brilliant today. He has a great attitude. On that ground and on a stiff track, he finds it so easy."

Hennessy Gold Cup Chase (Grade 3 Handicap)
£175,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 2f 110y, Class 1
21 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places


Horse
Trainer
Jockey
Weight
SP
Distance
1
Triolo D'Alene
N J Henderson
B J Geraghty
11st 1lbs
20 - 1
Winner
2
Rocky Creek
P F Nicholls
D A Jacob
11st 5lbs
8 - 1
2 3/4 lengths
3
Theatre Guide
C L Tizzard
J Tizzard
10st 13lbs
33 - 1
1 3/4 length
4
Highland Lodge
Miss E C Lavelle
L Aspell
10st 11lbs
6 - 1
9 lengths
5
Merry King
Jonjo O'Neill
R P McLernon
10st 8lbs
12 - 1
4 1/2 lengths
6
Houblon Des Obeaux
Miss V Williams
L Treadwell
11st 8lbs
25 - 1
Short Head
7
Our Father
D Pipe
C O'Farrell
11st 1lbs
11 - 2
1 3/4 length
8
Lord Windermere
J H Culloty
D C Costello
11st 8lbs
7 - 1
2 1/2 lengths
9
Terminal
W P Mullins
T Scudamore
10st 12lbs
33 - 1
Neck
10
Same Difference
N A Twiston-Davies
Sam Twiston-Davies
11st 1lbs
33 - 1
1/2 length
11
Invictus
A King
R Thornton
10st 13lbs
8 - 1
3 3/4 lengths
12
Cloudy Too
Mrs S J Smith
R Johnson
11st 4lbs
20 - 1
1 1/4 length
13
Prince De Beauchene
W P Mullins
R Walsh
11st 9lbs
16 - 1
2 1/4 lengths
14
Loch Ba
M R Channon
D Elsworth
10st 1lbs
16 - 1
8 lengths
15
Whodoyouthink
O McKiernan
P F Mangan
10st 0lbs
100 - 1
36 lengths
16
Cape Tribulation
J M Jefferson
Jack Doyle
11st 12lbs
50 - 1
7 lengths
Fell
Katenko
Miss V Williams
Aidan Coleman
11st 11lbs
20 - 1
PU
Imperial Commander
N A Twiston-Davies
P J Brennan
11st 7lbs
20 - 1
PU
Super Duty
D McCain Jnr
J M Maguire
11st 2lbs
14 - 1
Fell
Opening Batsman
H Fry
N Fehily
11st 0lbs
25 - 1
UR
Hadrian's Approach
N J Henderson
Nico de Boinville
11st 0lbs
12 - 1
       

Imperial Commander
© Racehorse Photos

Imperial Commander
Imperial Commander has been retired after he was pulled up on his swansong in the 2013 Hennessy Gold Cup.

Carrying the colours of the Our Friends In The North syndicate, the 12-year-old fulfilled every National Hunt owner's dream when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 2010.

That race had been billed as a clash between Denman and Kauto Star, but Imperial Commander justified plenty of confidence in the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable when taking top honours in the hands of Paddy Brennan.

Twiston-Davies said: "He has run so many great races for us, and we'll always have that to remember him by."

Imperial Commander was restricted to just six more races, with his only other success after the Gold Cup coming in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November 2010.

The proud owners decided to draw stumps as they did not want Imperial Commander to race on as a 13-year-old.

He ran a total of 22 times, winning eight races and amassing over £700,000 in prize-money.

Imperial Commander travelled well from the front for a long way in the Hennessy, but quickly grew tired once the field straightened for home.

Brennan: "He gave me a great spin, and it was only coming back into the home straight that he was telling me that the game was up.

"He'll get the best possible treatment and I'd like to thank Nigel, all the owners and the horse for all they have done for my career."

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