DOUBLE HANDFUL

IT feels odd that after 60 years of being called the Hennessy Gold Cup, today’s big race at Newbury will be run as the Ladbrokes Trophy. One can only imagine the amount of free cognac that has been necked at Newbury during this time period. Of course, free cognac is the only type of cognac anyone really drinks. Willie Mullins’

is favourite at around the 5-1 mark, a price way too short for me to consider. Yes, he was ultra impressive when winning the Munster National back in October, but Mullins’ hotpot has been hiked up 18lb since he inherited the horse from Sandra Hughes.

Mullins may have more than 200 Grade 1 victories to his name but his record in British handicap chases is abysmal.

After Hedgehunter’s Grand National success in 2005 he had 96 attempts

Recall Total

and 96 failures across 11 years until he bagged the winner of a four-runner race in Perth in 2016. I wonder how many of those 96 losers I backed? Overall, his record in handicaps over fences in Britain since 2003 is two winners from 113 starters. I have a slightly better record than that as a punter. There’s any number of horses who have a decent chance but the one I like the look of most is Nicky Henderson’s whose owners enjoyed a brilliant big-race double with Bristol De Mai and Top Notch last weekend. The eight-year-old grey runs off a 3lb lower mark than when finishing sixth here last year, which suggests he’s a decent each-way wager. He finished a respectable fifth of 10 at Aintree over hurdles in a tune-up three weeks ago and a repeat of the form that saw him grab second place in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in the spring would see him go close.

DU ROC, VYTA