Many Clouds has a Golden lining at Newbury
THERE have been some memorable winners in the 58 renewals of the Hennessy Gold Cup but few have sparked the raucous and heartfelt emotion that flooded through the Newbury winner’s enclosure after Many Cloud’s win.
Focus of the adulation was trainer Oliver Sherwood (below), who must have feared his days in the spotlight were history. It is 50 years since the great Arkle landed the first of his two wins in this prestigious steeplechase.
You don’t have to delve that far back for the Sherwood glory days but, until a revival was reignited in the last two years, memories of Sherwood big-race stars like Coulton, Large Action, Young Snugfit and Arctic Call, his previous Hennessy winner in 1990, were beginning to gather dust.
Rising stars like Puffin Billy and Deputy Dan have injected fresh optimism into the Sherwood set-up and Many Clouds, brought down when still going well at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, had suggested a big prize was within his scope.
It all came together as the 8-1 shot, with jockey Leighton Aspell in the colours of owner Trevor Hemmings, collared gallant top weight Houblons Des Obeaux at the last and forged three-and-a-quarter lengths clear.
A length back in third was Merry King as the Hennessy remained one of the few prizes to elude champion jockey AP McCoy.
Well-backed Willie Mullins-trained 5-1 favourite Djakadam faded from two fences out to finish eighth and Aspell later picked up a seven-day ban and £1,800 fine for excessive use of his whip.
An emotional Sherwood said: ‘There have been a few bare patches in the last 10 years. When things go bad you doubt yourself and wonder whether you are doing things right. But I remember Fred Winter telling me years ago if you have been successful in what you have been doing don’t change it.’ Having had a hard race, Sherwood said Many Clouds might not run again until the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, for which sponsors Betfred make him a 14-1 shot. To complete a good afternoon for the Sherwoods, Oliver’s nephew Jack landed the Bet365 Handicap Hurdle on Paul Nichollstrained Silsol.
Nicholls-trained Rocky Creek never threatened in the Hennessy but Nicholls could still reflect on the day with satisfaction as Nick Scolfield-ridden Irving won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, the 100th grade one success of his training career.
Meanwhile, More Of That’s unbeaten record went up in smoke as Medinas caused a bit of an upset in the bet365 Long Distance Hurdle.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner was the 4-7 favourite to extend his winning run to six races, but he was off the bridle a long way from home and finished a weary horse.
With the field reduced to six runners following the defection of Lac Fontana, eventual runner-up Cole Harden attempted to make it a genuine stamina test from the outset. Whereas the front-runner continued to go well for most of the race, Tony McCoy appeared in a spot of bother aboard More Of That approaching the third flight.
So it proved, as he was readily brushed aside by Medinas, who went one place better than last year for the Alan King team. King’s inmate ghosted into the lead after the final flight and maintained an honest gallop to score by seven lengths.
McCoy said: ‘He got tired. It was very testing ground. He’s a big, gross horse. It’s lucky he started off at a lower level and kept on improving.’
Owner JP McManus scotched any notion of More Of That going over fences this term. He said: ‘We’re disappointed, it goes without saying.You find out everything when he goes to the racecourse.
‘They went a good gallop, but the horse that led beat us well anyway We’ll stick to hurdles this season.’