The Hennessy Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious races on the UK racing calendar and takes place every November during the Winter Festival at Newbury Racecourse. It was first run on 26 November 1960, beginning the longest unbroken commercial sponsorship in British sport.

The Gold Cup at Newbury is a 3m2½f steeple chase over 21 fences designed to test even the most competitive and on form horses. This year the prize money for the Hennessy Gold Cup is a record £200,000 as well as the race celebrating 50 years at Newbury Racecourse and this year’s renewal has attracted a bumper and quality field of entries, which has currently been whittled down to 37.

And though winning this race comes with incredible prestige for the trainer, jockey and horse, it can also be very effective at indicating who could do very well in the following Grand National.

This year is no different and with 37 horses lined up to start the Gold Cup race, quite a few of them are already being heavily backed on ante post odds with the bookmakers. For example Denman, Gone to Lunch, State of Play, Arbor Supreme, My Will, Snowy Morning, Mon Mome and War of Attrition, to name a few, are all tipped for both races.

The Hennessy Gold Cup is going to be a great race this weekend and for those of you looking for an inside edge on the 2010 Grand National potential entrants and winner this is the ideal place to start your research.

Hennessy Gold Cup Entrants – November 28th 2009, 2pm

Paddy Power Odds as of Tuesday 24th November 2009

• Denman 4/1
• What A Friend 6/1
• Barbers Shop 13/2
• Killyglen 7/1
• Cappa Bleu 9/1
• Carruthers 9/1
• Gone To Lunch 14/1
• Casey Jones 16/1
• Horner Woods 16/1
• Ballyfitz 16/1
• State of Play 16/1
• Nenuphar Collonges 20/1
• Arbor Supreme 20/1
• My Will 20/1
• The Package 20/1
• Roll Along 25/1
• Snowy Morning 25/1
• Kornati Kid 25/1
• Siegemaster 25/1
• An Accordion 25/1
• Offshore Account 25/1
• According To Pete 28/1
• Niche Market 28/1
• New Alco 33/1
• Joe Lively 33/1
• Calgary Bay 33/1
• Darkness 33/1
• Chelsea Harbour 33/1
• Dream Alliance 33/1
• Operation Houdini 33/1
• Treacle 40/1
• Hennessy 40/1
• Chief Dan George 40/1
• Mon Mome 40/1
• Ponmeoath 40/1
• War Of Attrition 40/1
• Freeze Up 66/1