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Arkle the winner of the 1964 and 1965 Hennessy Gold Cup
About the Hennessy Gold Cup
The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) is run near the end of November or beginning of December each year at Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire, England over three miles two and a half furlongs with twenty one fences to be jumped. It is the most important steeplechase run at Newbury Racecourse each year and has been won by some of the leading three mile chasers most notably Arkle, Mill House, Mandarin, Kerstin, Bregawn and Burrough Hill Lad who were also winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup was first run in 1957 at Cheltenham Racecourse when it was won by Mandarin who was owned by Madame Peggy Hennessy whose family firm were the sponsors of the race. It was run their again in 1958 and 1959 but ever since 1960 Newbury Racecourse has been the venue.
Many well fancied horses have won the Hennessy Gold Cup with Arkle at 1/6 in 1965 the shortest priced winner although there has been the occasional outsider winning including Sibton Abbey at 40/1 in 1992, Stalbridge Colonist at 25/1 in 1966 and Man of the West at 20/1 in 1968. All long priced winners were carrying ten stone.
Only Cheltenham Gold Cup winners have carried twelve stone or more to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup. These winners were Arkle in 1964 and 1965 carrying 12 stone 7lb, Mill House in 1963 with 12 stone and Burrough Hill Lad in 1984 with 12 stone.
Apart from his two wins in the race Arkle was also third in 1963 to Mill House (Arkle in receipt of 5lb) and then in 1966 narrowly failed to give 35lb to the useful Stalbridge Colonist (who was later second in the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup and third in the 1968 Cheltenham Gold Cup).
Trainers with good records in the Hennessy Gold Cup include possibly the most successful and longest serving character in National Hunt racing ever in former Champion Trainer Fulke Walwyn whose seven successes in the race (1957, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1981) stretched over 24 years and whose final win in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup with a horse called Diamond Edge was no less than 45 years after he himself rode Reynoldstown to win the 1936 Aintree Grand National. Other trainers with good records include Martin Pipe with three wins, Charlie Brooks with two wins, David Barons with two wins, Bob Turnell with two wins, Paul Nicholls with two wins and Tom Dreaper with two wins. Interestingly none of these trainers are still training today and since 1987 not one trainer has followed up a win with a successive victory.
Hennessy Gold Cup winning jockeys who have ridden the winner of the race more than once include Willie Robinson who had three wins, Peter Scudamore with two wins, John Francome with two wins, Timmy Murphy with two wins, Graham Bradley with two wins, Jamie Osborne with two wins, Paul Nicholls with two wins and Pat Taaffe with two wins.
In 1960 Derek Ancil rode and trained Knucklecracker to win the Hennessy Gold Cup. Jockeys who have ridden the winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup and then later also trained the winner include Andy Turnell (1975 April Seventh and 1993 Cogent) and Paul Nicholls (1986 Broadheath, 1987 Playschool and 2003 Strong Flow).
My Personal Experience of The Hennessy Gold Cup
I lead Charter Party up for David Nicholson in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in both 1985 and 1986. When he ran in the 1985 Hennessy he was ridden by Peter Scudamore. The horse had run once prior to the big race finshing a good second to the Nick Gaselee trained Duke of Milan at Wincanton. We were quite confident of a good run from Charter Party now that he′d had a race and in addition the yard was just showing some good form, only a couple of weekends before at Chepstow we′d had a four timer with Very Promising, Tickite Boo, Cottage Run and French Union.
In the race Charter Party was in the process of running very well when he fell at the second last when just behind the winner Galway Blaze. The Fitzgerald horse won as he liked and seemed to still have plenty up his sleeve when Charter Party came down. Scu′ thought we′d have been second.
I lead Charter Party up again in the Hennessy Gold Cup in 1986 when he was ridden Richard Dunwoody. The horse followed the same pattern as the year before with a run at Wincanton where this time he finished fourth. The yard was confident about his chances, we hadn′t long won the Mackeson Gold Cup with Very Promising and seemed to be in good form but Charter Party ran a poor race eventually pulling up. The 1986 / 1987 National Hunt season was not any good at all for Charter Party and he didn′t win once. The previous season he′d won three times, once at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and then two wins at Cheltenham. The first of those Cheltenham wins was at the National Hunt Festival in the Ritz Club National Hunt Handicap Chase and the following month Charter Party beat Fred Winter′s Plundering out of sight in the Golden Miller Handicap Chase. After the Golden Miller he came back with a "bit of a leg" and it was decided that as his leg was going to be blistered* and that he′d have to stop in through the summer now was the time to sort out his breathing problems too and have him hobdayed (a type of wind operation for horses).
After all that lot it was hardly surprising Charter Party was never at his best through the 1986 / 87 season.
*Old fashioned remedy for horses with a bit of leg trouble, whereby the act of rubbing a mix of certain substances together, mostly vaseline or lard, into the tendon and then after a number of days stopping, would cause the leg to blister up, which when done right was more or less painless. Basically the idea was to make the horse rest his legs - you can′t tell a horse to go and put his feet up for a while!
Sporting Chronicle is written by Richard Bevan
You may be interested in winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Paddy Power Gold Cup, Bet365 Gold Cup or the Irish Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup
Hennessy Gold Cup Winners
* 2002 First past the post Be My Royal was later disqualified for failing a routine dope test - traces of morphine
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| Year |
Winner |
Weight |
Trainer |
Jockey |
SP |
| 2007 |
Denman |
11-12 |
Paul Nicholls |
Sam Thomas |
5/1 |
| 2006 |
State of Play |
11-4 |
Evan Williams |
Paul Moloney |
10/1 |
| 2005 |
Trabolgan |
11-12 |
Nicky Henderson |
Mick Fitzgerald |
13-2 |
| 2004 |
Celestial Gold |
10-5 |
Martin Pipe |
Timmy Murphy |
9-4 |
| 2003 |
Strong Flow |
11-0 |
Paul Nicholls |
Ruby Walsh |
5-1 |
| 2002* |
Gingembre |
10-13 |
Lavinia Taylor |
Andrew Thornton |
16-1 |
| 2001 |
What′s Up Boys |
10-12 |
Philip Hobbs |
Paul Flynn |
14-1 |
| 2000 |
King′s Road |
10-7 |
Nigel Twiston-Davies |
Jamie Goldstein |
7-1 |
| 1999 |
Ever Blessed |
10-0 |
Mark Pitman |
Timmy Murphy |
9-2 |
| 1998 |
Teeton Mill |
10-5 |
Venetia Williams |
Norman Williamson |
5-1 |
| 1997 |
Suny Bay |
11-8 |
Charlie Brooks |
Graham Bradley |
9-4 |
| 1996 |
Coome Hill |
10-0 |
Walter Dennis |
Jamie Osborne |
11-2 |
| 1995 |
Couldn't Be Better |
10-8 |
Charlie Brooks |
Dean Gallagher |
15-2 |
| 1994 |
One Man |
10-0 |
Gordon Richards |
Tony Dobbin |
4-1 |
| 1993 |
Cogent |
10-1 |
Andy Turnell |
Dan Fortt |
10-1 |
| 1992 |
Sibton Abbey |
10-0 |
Ferdy Murphy |
Adrian Maguire |
40-1 |
| 1991 |
Chatam |
10-6 |
Martin Pipe |
Peter Scudamore |
10-1 |
| 1990 |
Arctic Call |
11-0 |
Oliver Sherwood |
Jamie Osborne |
5-1 |
| 1989 |
Ghofar |
10-2 |
David Elsworth |
Hywel Davies |
5-1 |
| 1988 |
Strands Of Gold |
10-0 |
Martin Pipe |
Peter Scudamore |
10-1 |
| 1987 |
Playschool |
10-8 |
David Barons |
Paul Nicholls |
6-1 |
| 1986 |
Broadheath |
10-5 |
David Barons |
Paul Nicholls |
6-1 |
| 1985 |
Galway Blaze |
10-0 |
Jimmy Fitzgerald |
Mark Dwyer |
11-2 |
| 1984 |
Burrough Hill Lad |
12-0 |
Jenny Pitman |
John Francome |
100-30 |
| 1983 |
Brown Chamberlin |
11-8 |
Fred Winter |
John Francome |
7-2 |
| 1982 |
Bregawn |
11-10 |
Michael Dickinson |
Graham Bradley |
9-4 |
| 1981 |
Diamond Edge |
11-10 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Bill Smith |
9-2 |
| 1980 |
Bright Highway |
11-6 |
M J O′Brien |
Gerry Newman |
11-4 |
| 1979 |
Fighting Fit |
11-7 |
Ken Oliver |
Richard Linley |
15-2 |
| 1978 |
Approaching |
10-6 |
Josh Gifford |
Bob Champion |
3-1 |
| 1977 |
Batchelor′s Hall |
10-10 |
Peter Cundell |
Martin O'Halloran |
11-2 |
| 1976 |
Zeta′s Son |
10-9 |
Peter Bailey |
Ian Watkinson |
12-1 |
| 1975 |
April Seventh |
11-2 |
Bob Turnell |
Andy Turnell |
11-1 |
| 1974 |
Royal Marshall II |
10-0 |
Captain Tim Forster |
Graham Thorner |
11-2 |
| 1973 |
Red Candle |
10-4 |
G Vallance |
Jimmy Fox |
12-1 |
| 1972 |
Charlie Potheen |
11-4 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Richard Pitman |
10-1 |
| 1971 |
Bighorn |
10-11 |
Charlie Vernon Miller |
David Cartwright |
7-1 |
| 1970 |
Border Mask |
11-1 |
Peter Cazalet |
David Mould |
7-1 |
| 1969 |
Spanish Steps |
11-8 |
Edward Courage |
John Cook |
7-1 |
| 1968 |
Man of the West |
10-0 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Willie Robinson |
20-1 |
| 1967 |
Rondetto |
10-1 |
Bob Turnell |
Jeff King |
100-8 |
| 1966 |
Stalbridge Colonist |
10-0 |
Ken Cundell |
Stan Mellor |
25-1 |
| 1965 |
Arkle |
12-7 |
Tom Dreaper |
Pat Taaffe |
1-6 |
| 1964 |
Arkle |
12-7 |
Tom Dreaper |
Pat Taaffe |
5-4 |
| 1963 |
Mill House |
12-0 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Willie Robinson |
15-8 |
| 1962 |
Springbok |
10-8 |
Neville Crump |
Gerry Scott |
15-2 |
| 1961 |
Mandarin |
11-5 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Willie Robinson |
7-1 |
| 1960 |
Knucklecracker |
11-1 |
Derek Ancil |
Derek Ancil |
100-7 |
| 1959* |
Kerstin |
11-10 |
Verly Bewicke |
Stan Hayhurst |
4-1 |
| 1958* |
Taxidermist |
11-1 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Mr John Lawrence |
10-1 |
| 1957* |
Mandarin |
11-0 |
Fulke Walwyn |
Gerry Madden |
8-1 |
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