Hennessy Gold Cup preview

Colin Tizzard feels there is little to choose between Native River and Theatre Guide as they line up in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

Native River, who heads the ante-post market, won the Grade One Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree in the spring and finished a satisfactory second over hurdles at Wetherby on his return last month.

Theatre Guide, who also finished second on his seasonal bow, has been placed in the race twice before and is getting 6lb from his stablemate having had a wind operation in the summer.

"I thought Theatre Guide ran a lovely prep race for this at Wetherby over a trip short of his best," said Tizzard.

"He had a wind op in the summer and is right on the top of his game at the moment.

"I'd have said there wouldn't be much at all between them on the terms they are meeting.

"This looks a beautiful race for Native River, definitely the right spot.

"He's a Grade One-winning, second-season novice and he ran a lovely race over hurdles first time out.

"Of course it will be ultra-competitive, it always is, but I'd like to think they are both going there with excellent chances."

Champion jockey Richard Johnson is still looking for his first win in the race but feels Native River has the right profile for a race of this magnitude.

Johnson said: "In the nicest way, he's one-paced and he keeps galloping - he jumps and gallops, and that's his forte.

"At Aintree that's what he showed, and I thought he ran a really nice race over hurdles at Wetherby at the start of the season.

"That was definitely the best hurdle run of his life and he's only six, you forget that.

"There's every chance he's probably improved a bit over the summer and Colin's horses couldn't be in better form, so you go there with all the positives.

"I think at Wetherby last year when he finished third to Blaklion - so it wasn't a bad race - they thought he didn't enjoy it as much as he enjoys decent ground, so ideally good to soft rather than soft would be better.

"But whatever the ground is, with the rain we've had it's going to be hard work and a big field is always a true-run race."

Of the dangers, he added: "Un Temps Pour Tout won the French Champion Hurdle and the three-mile handicap at Cheltenham and is obviously a very high-class horse.

"He's very talented and probably the one I'd be most wary of."

Tom Scudamore partners Un Temps Pour Tout and shares Johnson's optimism, although he was no match for Native River at Aintree off level weights last season and must concede 3lb this time.

"I certainly wouldn't swap him for anything," said Scudamore.

"You want to go back and watching him flying up the Cheltenham hill over three-one, he was certainly galloping all the way to the line.

"He's run well around Newbury before and I'm looking forward to it.

"You only have to look through the past winners to see they can go on to be Gold Cup horses and that's what you need.

"He has to improve again - the handicapper isn't taking any chances off a very high mark but we've got to go there and prove the handicapper right."

Smad Place's victory 12 months ago was one of the highlights of the season when he jumped for fun to win by 12 lengths, but he faces a tougher task off an 11lb higher mark this time.

"It's not going to be easy (off top weight), but he carried 11st 8lb last year," said trainer Alan King.

"It's been his target all the way through and we're happy with him, but I'm under no illusions as it's a tough task.

"There's nowhere else to go, really. He'll be his usual, competitive self, and the ground is sure to be on the slow side, which will suit us.

"He'll run his race - whether that's good enough to win, I don't know.

"We're happy with him, anyway."