Key race -Hennessy Gold Cup Leopardstown -Sunday - winner Joncol

[jtw1]

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup (Ireland)

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The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The event was first run in 1987, and it was originally titled the Vincent O'Brien Irish Gold Cup. It was named after Vincent O'Brien (born 1917), who was a successful racehorse trainer. The present title was introduced in 1991, when Hennessy began sponsoring the race. It is often now referred to as the Irish Hennessy, as there is also a long-established chase in Great Britain called the Hennessy Gold Cup.
Throughout its history the race has served as a leading trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Two horses have won both events in the same year – Jodami (1993) and Imperial Call (1996).

Contents [hide]

[edit] Records

• Most successful horse – Florida Pearl, 4 wins (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004)
• Most successful jockey – Mark Dwyer, 4 wins (1987, 1993, 1994, 1995)
• Most successful trainer – Willie Mullins, 6 wins (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005)

[edit] Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1987	Forgive 'n Forget	10	Mark Dwyer	Jimmy FitzGerald
1988	Playschool	10	Paul Nicholls	David Barons
1989	Carvill's Hill	7	Ken Morgan	Jim Dreaper
1990	Nick the Brief	8	Martin Lynch	John Upson
1991	Nick the Brief	9	Robbie Supple	John Upson
1992	Carvill's Hill	10	Peter Scudamore	Martin Pipe
1993	Jodami	8	Mark Dwyer	Peter Beaumont
1994	Jodami	9	Mark Dwyer	Peter Beaumont
1995	Jodami	10	Mark Dwyer	Peter Beaumont
1996	Imperial Call	7	Conor O'Dwyer	Fergie Sutherland
1997	Danoli	9	Tommy Treacy	Tom Foley
1998	Dorans Pride	9	Richard Dunwoody	Michael Hourigan
1999	Florida Pearl	7	Richard Dunwoody	Willie Mullins
2000	Florida Pearl	8	Paul Carberry	Willie Mullins
2001	Florida Pearl	9	Richard Johnson	Willie Mullins
2002	Alexander Banquet	9	Barry Geraghty	Willie Mullins
2003	Beef or Salmon	7	Timmy Murphy	Michael Hourigan
2004	Florida Pearl	12	Richard Johnson	Willie Mullins
2005	Rule Supreme	9	David Casey	Willie Mullins
2006	Beef or Salmon	10	Paul Carberry	Michael Hourigan
2007	Beef or Salmon	11	Andrew J. McNamara	Michael Hourigan
2008	The Listener	9	Daryl Jacob	Robert & Sally Alner
2009	Neptune Collonges	8	Ruby Walsh	Paul Nicholls

[jtw1]

Sorry , that should of course be LEOPARDSTOWN

[jtw1]

10/10 were returned UNDER 11/2 in the betting and 9 were Fav or 2nd Fav
10/10 had finished in the 1st three on thier last completed start.
10/10 had won at Grade 1 level over Fences
10/10 had ran since Xmas
9/10 had won over the course
9/10 had won at 3m

Unless there's a major incident during the race i'd take out the rank outsiders
IN COMPLIANCE , MADE IN TAIPAN [must be one of the worst names EVER !!] and SCHINDLERS HUNT.

C/D wise , although MONEY TRIX and JONCOL have not actually won at Leopardstown , both were placed here in the LEXUS CHASE LTO so thats good enough for me on that score.
However MONEY TRIX has never won at G1 class [Cl2 at best ] so he's out.

NOTRE PERE has been a disappointment this season and only finishing 4th last time see's him passed over.

COOLDINE definately has the ability but is another who has yet to find his form this season so that leaves us with JONCOL who should relish the Heavy conditions .
His only 3m win was in a PTP , which is a slight worry but he has been placed twice over 24f + 25f.

[jtw1]

Taken from the Sporting Life site -

MULLINS SHOCKED BY COOLDINE GAMBLE Willie Mullins is in the dark as to why Cooldine is the hot favourite for Sunday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Cooldine disappointed when in need of the run in the Lexus at the same track over Christmas.
But while Mullins is expecting his horse to improve from that, even he is shocked by the ante-post support this week.
"I can't understand quite why Cooldine has been so heavily backed for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday," the trainer said in his weekly blog on www.goracing.ie.
"He has been backed into favouritism, and I can tell you it's not my money!
"I said last week that I was happy with him and looking forward to running him, which I am, but it's extraordinary the way that's been picked up.
"Money Trix and Joncol are the two to beat. They are fit and well and they are going to run right up to their marks, which is something Cooldine hasn't done yet this season - he ran no race at all in the Lexus.
"I just want to see him perform on Sunday."
Paul Nolan expects Money Trix to be the horse to beat in Sunday's big race.
Nolan saddles Joncol in the three-mile Grade One and will be bidding to turn around Lexus form with Money Trix after the pair finished third and second respectively behind What A Friend at Christmas.
They meet on exactly the same terms this time, and Nolan admits it is a mystery why his charge is favoured in the market ahead of the Nicky Richards-trained raider.
He said: "I don't really understand why Money Trix is behind us in the market as he is the one to beat.
"He would probably have won in another stride in the Lexus - he beat us fair and square - so he is the one to watch."
Seven-year-old Joncol is a rising star in the chasing ranks after landing a first Grade One success in the John Durkan last October following a solid novice season.
Beaten just under two lengths by Paul Nicholls' What A Friend in the Lexus, Nolan is hoping for another good run at the weekend, although he expects conditions to be pretty testing.
"Everything has been going well with him, he's fine and hopefully he will get there in one piece," said the County Wexford handler.
"It's a competitive race and we're hopeful he will run well, but he will obviously have to improve again.
"We're not making any excuses, and he will go on heavy ground, but I think it might be a bit more testing than it was at Christmas."
Nolan might consider a slight change in tactics for Joncol this time as Alain Cawley's mount was prominent throughout in the Lexus before just fading out of it slightly on the run-in.
"Alain will ride him again and while we were quite aggressive in the Lexus, we might not be as aggressive with the tactics this time and see if that makes a difference," explained Nolan.
"Our boy made one mistake at the third-last in the Lexus and got away with it so if we could get another round like that in on Sunday, we'd have a chance."
Richards himself feels Cooldine could take some pegging back if returning to his RSA Chase-winning form.
He said: "Cooldine was pulled up in the Lexus and has obviously got to improve a lot.
"But, in fairness to him, that clearly wasn't his running and if he can get back to the Cheltenham form of last year he'll make us all go.
"Saying that, I wouldn't swap my horse for any other in the race.
"Davy (Russell) knows he stays well and I thought he gave him a beautiful ride last time.
"He said before the race how it would be run and he was pretty much spot-on and it nearly came off.
"We have two outstanding horses in these staying chases in Kauto Star and Denman, but I'd like to think our lad is as good as the rest of them."
Looking further ahead, Richards says his charge will only head for the Cheltenham Gold Cup if ground conditions remain testing.
"Whether he goes to Cheltenham or not will be all about the ground," added the Cumbria handler.
"If it's anywhere near good he won't be going anywhere."
A total of seven horses go to post for the valuable event, with Tom Mullins saddling Made In Taipan.
Dessie Hughes runs In Compliance and Schindlers Hunt, with Notre Pere completing the line-up.

[jtw1]

Got the tactics spot-on today

JONCOL 1st @ 9/4f

Glad i took the 11/4

[billvernon]

Congratulations well done you got it spot on