Saphir remains on course for the Hennessy Paul Nicholls believes the Hennessy Gold Cup could be the best opportunity Saphir Du Rheu has of toppling Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree. With both horses remaining on course to clash in the Grade Three contest at Newbury later this month, the Ditcheat handler feels the 9lb Saphir Du Rheu receives from the Mark Bradstock trained eight-year-old will be crucial to his chances. Having claimed an impressive win in the Grade One Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, Saphir Du Rheu made a successful return to action this month when easily casting aside The Young Master in an intermediate chase at Carlisle. Nicholls said: "He has come out of that really well. He got back at 2am and ate all his food up and has not stopped eating since. "He (Coneygree) was awesome the other day. He is a Gold Cup winner so you don't have to say any more about him and he is going to be hard to beat whatever. "We are getting a handy 9lb off him. If we are ever going to have a chance to beat him, then 9lb is going to be handy. It will be an interesting race. Although Saphir Du Rheu is set to have an entry in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton, the champion trainer has warned he is far from certain to take his chance in the Grade One event. He said: "We will get the Hennessy out of the way first. I'm not totally convinced that Kempton is his track as he is a stayer. "I might mind him a bit this year and keep him in the wings. If he has a hard race in the Hennessy, I'd be minded to look after him. It's a long way off but he will definitely have an entry in the King George."
