The bookies may be crying into their cups of tea but the racing world is on a high after Denman took his second Hennessy Gold Cup title on Saturday at Newbury. The favourite romped home by three and a half lengths over his nearest rival, What a Friend, to become only the third horse to win this race twice – the other two being Arkle and Mandarin.

He started favourite with every bookie and if you backed him earlier in the week you could have got him for as much as 4/1 but on the day his odds tumbled to a very short 2/1, but that’s still double money so not too bad given his calibre and the fact that barring a major incident he was always going to win the race, or is that hindsight talking??

He may have been lumbered with 12lbs over his closest bookie rival and had a whopping 22lbs on the second placer but that didn’t stop him from jumping magnificently and running supremely. The Paul Nicholls-trained runner who was ridden by Ruby Walsh, took the lead from Niche Market with a monster jump at the cross fence on the second circuit but was being closed down by Barbers Shop and stablemate What A Friend.

His stablemate What A Friend attempted to put up a fight and may have even given Denman the impidous to go all the way after they drew alongside each other at the final fence but a jumping error from What A Friend saw the title slip away from him and Denman roared over the fence and on to the winning post.

If you fancy Denman for the Grand National why not check out all the ante-post odds at Betfair where you now back him at 24/1.

21 horses will officially line up for the start of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday 28th November at 2pm with Denman leading in both the weights and at the bookies. Final declarations were made today reducing the field from 37 potential entrants to just 21 who will compete for the £200,000 winning pot.

Whether or not you think Denman can do it again after his win in 2007, is completely up to you but if you fancy looking at some of the other hopefuls then cast your eye over the current odds with Paddy Power.

Paddy Power odds are correct as of Thursday 26th November 2009

• Denman 4/1
• Barbers Shop 6/1
• What A Friend 13/2
• Killyglen 7/1
• Cappa Bleu 9/1
• Gone To Lunch 16/1
• Casey Jones 16/1
• State of Play 16/1
• Nenuphar Collonges 20/1
• Ballyfitz 20/1
• Snowy Morning 20/1
• My Will 20/1
• Kornati Kid 25/1
• Niche Market 33/1
• An Accordion 33/1
• New Alco 33/1
• Offshore Account 33/1
• Joe Lively 33/1
• War Of Attrition 33/1
• Chelsea Harbour 40/1
• Mon Mome 40/1
]]> http://www.grand-national2010.co.uk/finaldeclarationsforhennessygoldcup2009/330/feed 0 http://www.grand-national2010.co.uk/can-the-hennessy-gold-cup-predict-the-grand-national/304 http://www.grand-national2010.co.uk/can-the-hennessy-gold-cup-predict-the-grand-national/304#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:48:23 +0000 Jockey http://www.grand-national2010.co.uk/?p=304

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
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