Nothing To Report From Muddling Hennessy

Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown provided a stirring finish, but surely nothing that will make the Cheltenham Festival principals lose too much sleep, writes Elliot Slater.

There’s no doubt that there was a brave winner in Joncol, who mastered Cooldine in the dying strides, but the three mile Grade 1 race was run at a dawdle and told us little we didn’t already know about the main combatants. My first impression was to write the form off as being of little significance, and they do say in racing that you should never change your mind once you’ve made a decision.

The slow pace meant that Joncol’s suspect stamina wasn’t tested, but what we do know is that he is fit and well. However, I feel the horse is unlikely to be good enough to land the Ryanair Chase. The race was a better effort from Cooldine, but there is no way that this form comes anywhere close to that of the market principals in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. If he takes his chance in the race I think Cooldine is one to lay for a place as the likes of Imperial Commander, What A Friend, Money Trix and the dark horse Taranis are more likely to fill third spot than the Irish challenger.

I would also discount the below par effort of Nicky Richards’ Money Trix, a genuine three miler who was completely at sea at the farcical pace. Perhaps jockey Davy Russell should have taken the bull by the horns and gone out there to make the running under his own terms, but a bad blunder at the second last left him unable to join in the sprint finish.

If it comes up very soft or heavy at Cheltenham, then a bit of 66/1 each-way Money Trix could prove a shrewd investment.