Tidal on top of Hennessy weights Last year's runner-up Tidal Bay tops the weights on 11st 12lb for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on November 30. The Paul Nicholls-trained stalwart put up a sterling effort in this valuable staying handicap chase when failing by just three and a quarter lengths to give 6lb to Bobs Worth, who went on to lift the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Tidal Bay went on to gain handsome compensation with a last-gasp triumph in the Lexus Chase but did not run again last term. However, the 12-year-old showed there is plenty of life left in him when he won the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby for the second autumn running recently. Nicholls fields a strong list of possibles comprising Rolling Aces (10st 11lb), Unioniste (10st 7lb), Rocky Creek (10st 6lb), Poungach (9st 12lb) and Aiteen Thirtythree (9st 8lb) as he seeks to win this famous race for a fourth time. Bobs Worth gave Nicky Henderson a second success in the Newbury feature and the Seven Barrows trainer has three possibles in Roberto Goldback (10st 6lb), Triolo d'Alene (10st 2lb) and Hadrian's Approach (10st 1lb). Invictus (10st) is the ante-post favourite and his trainer Alan King also has Walkon (10st 6lb) and Godsmejudge (10st 3lb). David Pipe's three-strong party is headed by Our Father (10st 2lb). The Nicholashayne handler also has Goulanes (10st 1lb) and Buddy Bolero (9st 10lb). There has been no Irish-trained winner since Michael O'Brien's Bright Highway in 1980, although Willie Mullins's Be My Royal was first past the post in 2002 only to be later disqualified due to contaminated feed. Mullins bids to get on the roll of honour with Prince de Beauchene (10st 10lb), Terminal (9st 13lb), On His Own (9st 13lb), Vesper Bell (9st 11lb) and Themoonandsixpence (8st 12lb). Other Irish-based horses are Jim Culloty's RSA Chase hero Lord Windermere (10st 9lb), Tony Martin's Dedigout (10st 5lb), Tofino Bay (10st 4lb), Tom Taaffe's Argocat (10st 4lb) and Whodoyouthink (9st 1lb) from Oliver McKiernan's stable.
